Is Tom Brady Holding Out?
In case you haven’t heard, the irreplaceable quarterback (QB) of the New England Patriots is in the last year of his contract. Yes, it’s the future Hall of Famer Tom Brady, who else? Worse for the Patriots though is the fact that a holdout for a new contract is a possibility.
The buzz surrounding Brady has spiraled out of control as things seem to be going the opposite way to what Brady said earlier this year.
"I think we're way overpaid as it is, all of us," Brady said in January. "We get to go play football for a living. I love playing, and I'm very fortunate to play. …[The contract is] not really a concern."
He sure didn’t sound like a player ready to holdout, but a new contract remains unsigned heading into training camp.
"I'm under contract, and I signed a six-year contract five years ago," Brady said, reminding reporters that many players are in the same situation as he is right now.
"There is a lot of uncertainty with the league, and being a player rep now, I realize all the different issues that we're facing. It's a really unique time in the league, and as a team player, I don't sit here saying, 'What about me, What about me?' I'm under contract, and I'm going to go out there and play and play my butt off."
Brady, acknowledging a “unique time in the league,” also reminds us that Peyton Manning has not been signed by the Colts, as he is in the last year of his contract, too.
Patriots owner Robert Kraft has said Brady’s contract talks are complicated due to the uncertain labor forecast in the battle between the NFL and the players union. Ultimately, Kraft was and is confident that an agreement will be reached: "Let's put it like this: Tom Brady is going to be part of this franchise. He wants to be; we want him," Kraft said at the time.
Both sides have talked already about working out a deal, but right now talks are off, meaning it’s unlikely Brady will be re-signed heading into training camp.
Brady is in the final year of a six-year, $60 million extension that he signed in 2005. When Brady signed the extension, it made him one of the league's highest-paid players. The contract was front loaded, which schedules Brady to make $3 million this season plus a $3 million roster bonus, which is clearly below market value for a three-time Super Bowl champion.
The reason the contract was front loaded was probably due to the fact that when Brady signed, it was seen as unlikely that he would play out the whole contract.
One thing the Patriots could do is borrow the Tennessee Titans idea and give Brady a short-term pay hike to ensure he earns what he’s worth for this season. The Titans restructured deal kept Chris Johnson happy and would likely rest any doubt of Brady being on the field.
The Patriots can even copy what the Colts did with Peyton Manning in 2004 when his rookie contract expired. The Colts simply placed the franchise tag on Manning while they worked out a new long-term deal. That was never the case with Brady as this is the first time he is playing in the final year of his contract. The only problem is if a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) is worked out, there’s no guarantee that a franchise tag would exist next year.
Kraft is also among the leaders in the labor dispute for the owners and giving Brady a big contract full of guaranteed money may compromise his position amongst owners. Essentially he has to do either what’s best for the league, or his Patriots.
When Brady was asked in January about whether he would holdout he simply stated: “We have the greatest job in the world, and I have the greatest job in the world," he said. "I love being here, and I love Boston, I love the city, I love the community, that's where our home is."
However, last month there were reports suggesting there was a growing discontent between the Patriots and Brady. When Brady was asked about that suggestion he said: "I really don't want to talk about it a whole lot, because there is nothing anybody can solve other than the team and myself. There are a lot of guys in my situation."
He added that, "things happen; some are out of your control. You just have to go with the flow."
Some would suggest he never denied the growing sense of discontent, but he never confirmed it either. New England fans may have to continue to wait to see where this story takes us over the next year.
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