Tom Brady contract details: Still a bargain for Patriots

Dollar-for-dollar, Tom Brady might be the best bargain in the NFL's free-agency era.

Drafted in the sixth round in 2000, Brady has been an instrumental part of the New England Patriots winning four Super Bowls in the 16 years since he was selected 199th overall. In that time, Brady has never been the highest-paid player at his position, despite his accolades and the team's success with him under center.

While that has certainly made team brass happy, Brady believes that his taking less will mean a stronger team around him, though that belief has not always been rewarded, such as in 2012 when Brady restructured his deal to give the Patriots salary cap relief, but the team did not re-sign the quarterback's top target, Wes Welker.

Now, as he enters what may be the final years of his career, Brady may finally be paid like his far-less-successful peers (ahem, Brock Osweiler).

Last week, he signed a new contract, one that restructures the last two seasons of the four-year deal he signed in 2014, and also tacks on two new years. Those two years, 2018 and 2019, total $41 million, which if realized put Brady just over the $20 million per season plateau.

In all, Brady can earn a maximum of $60 million over four years, with $30 million guaranteed. The Boston Herald's Jeff Howe has a breakdown of the restructure and new money:

 

2016:

Signing bonus: $28 million

Base salary: $1 million (guaranteed for injury)

Brady's earnable cash: $29 million

Patriots' cap hit: $14 million

 

2017:

Base salary: $1 million (guaranteed for injury, becomes fully guaranteed on third day of 2017 league year)

Brady's earnable cash: $1 million

Patriots' cap hit: $14 million

 

2018:

Base salary: $14 million

Roster bonus: $1 million ($62,500 per game)

Brady's earnable cash: $15 million

 

2019:

Base salary: $14 million

Roster bonus: $1 million ($62,500 per game)

Brady's earnable cash: $15 million

Patriots' cap hit: $22 million

 

It's interesting that Brady's base salary for the coming season has been dropped from $9 million to $1 million - if a federal appeals court reverses Judge Richard Berman's decision and the quarterback's four-game NFL suspension is reinstituted, he will lose just $250,000 as opposed to $2.25 million.