Brady Gets Paid, But Does It Hurt the Patriots’ Chances Going Forward?

Patriots quarterback Tom Brady has long been underpaid when comparing his salary and success to that of other quarterbacks around the NFL. Coming into 2019, the last year of his contract, Brady was scheduled to, once again, be underpaid.

Finally, the Patriots and their legendary QB came to an agreement for a two-year extension that will pay the six-time Super Bowl champion $23 million this year. That may sound like a lot of money, but it’s still a bargain for New England considering how much other quarterbacks around the league are being paid.

Now, there’s a lot of nuance in an NFL contract, but with all things accounted for, there are six quarterbacks ahead of Brady in pay this season. In 2019, Brady will make less than the likes of Russell Wilson, Ben Roethlisberger, Matt Ryan, Nick Foles, and even rookie Kyler Murray, whose four-year, $35 million deal pays him a large portion up front.

Some of those names ahead of Brady seem comical when you think about the Patriots quarterback’s trophy case, which consists of six Lombardi Trophies, three NFL MVPs, and four Super Bowl MVPs.

This deal, of course, comes as a sort of middle ground between the Pats and Brady, who’s always been one to sacrifice pay in order to allow New England to attract more talent to the roster.

Let’s take a closer look at Brady’s new deal.

Brady’s Two-Year Extension

The new deal between Brady and New England should keep the veteran in a Patriots uniform through 2021. With Brady’s goal of playing until age 45, this is a big step in the right direction.

However, the deal isn’t a straightforward one. Instead, Brady’s contract is set to expire at the end of the 2019 season, then making it a year-to-year situation with Pats committing to not using the franchise tag on Brady.

Brady will receive an $8 million raise on what he was scheduled to be paid this season, and then the agreed-upon $30 million and $32 million for 2020 and 2021, respectively, are more like placeholders, with both sides likely to come together and adjust those numbers in the future.

The two years of the extension, called void years, are a rarity that are only possible because of the relationship and trust between Brady, Bill Belichick, and the front office.

So, does this new deal hurt the team’s chances going forward?

How Brady’s Deal Impacts the Patriots’ Chances

We all know how good Brady is. In 2018, the Patriots QB threw for 4,355 yards, 29 touchdowns, 11 interceptions, and completed nearly 66 percent of his passes while leading the franchise to another Super Bowl victory.

So, just about any deal would be a good one for the team. And despite the $8 million raise the team will give Brady this year, it’s a flexible one that allows the team more options going forward. In fact, it gives the Pats an additional $5.5 million in cap space this year.

Also, let’s not forget this deal is already a discount relative to other QB deals around the league.

For this year’s Super Bowl, oddsmakers still see the Patriots as a favorite to take home the Lombardi Trophy once again. Ahead of the Rams (+900), Saints (+850), and Chiefs (+800), the Patriots have the best odds to win Super Bowl LIV at +700 odds.

Perhaps a big reason behind the Patriots remaining favorites despite paying more cash to Brady in a salary-cap sport is the fact that Belichick and Brady have always been able to do more with less.

So, even if the Pats aren’t able to replace the likes of Rob Gronkowski, they’re still a lock to make the playoffs at -800 odds. And once in the playoffs, it’s hard to bet against Brady’s 30-10 record in postseason football.