Tom Brady playing for a team that isn’t the New England Patriots? It might sound like blasphemy, but it’s a very real possibility.
Tom Brady has said he wants to play into his 40s, but doing that could run him into conflict with the “Patriot Way.”
According to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com, Brady is currently signed through 2017 and the final three years of the deal become fully guaranteed if he is on the roster for the New England Patriots’ final regular-season game this season—and it’s hard to fathom that he wouldn’t be still on the roster for Week 17.
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If the final three years become fully guaranteed, Brady would get $24 million–$7 million in 2015, $8 million in 2016 and $9 million in 2017 and per league rules, the Patriots would have to put the entire amount in escrow when the guarantees are locked in.
Those salary figures could look good for teams looking to make changes at quarterback. The cap hits for the deal are $13 million in 2015, $14 million in 2016 and $15 million in 2017.
The contract doesn’t contain any no trade provisions, but Brady could put the kibosh to any possible trade by retiring.
A team looking to acquire Brady might want to rework the deal—even sweeten it—in the effort to bring in a box-office draw such as Tom Brady.
There are less-accomplished quarterbacks in the NFL making a lot more money than what Brady is scheduled to make for the next three seasons and should New England look at a rebuild, Brady would be a valuable trade chip—probably their most valuable one—in terms of acquiring future assets such as draft picks and/or young players.
And were he to be traded, Brady wouldn’t be the first iconic quarterback to finish his career in a different uniform—Peyton Manning is now a Denver Bronco, Joe Montana became a Kansas City Chief and once upon a time, Joe Namath and Johnny Unitas were traded to the Los Angeles Rams and San Diego Chargers, respectively.
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