Tom Brady: Quarterback’s Contract Gives Patriots A Huge Advantage Over Other Teams In The NFL

Tom Brady is having one of his best seasons ever, and the New England Patriots have a huge advantage in having him on their roster.

Brady plans to play football for ten more years, but that isn’t the main reason the Patriots have an enormous advantage over other NFL teams; neither is Brady’s great performance this year.

Tom Brady’s NFL contract is probably the best deal of any quarterback in today’s NFL.

Toward the end of last year’s football season, 38-year-old Tom Brady took a bold step and bet on himself when he restructured his contract.

Brady was guaranteed $27 million to play quarterback for the New England Patriots, but Tom gave up the $27 million of guaranteed money, and settled for a $3 million raise over three seasons. Additionally, he lessened a financial guarantee for the Patriots so they can spend that money elsewhere.

Other NFL quarterbacks, such as Jay Cutler, Alex Smith, Matthew Stafford, Matt Ryan, and Colin Kaepernick, all have bigger quarterback caps than Tom Brady this season. In fact, Drew Brees alone counts as $23.8 million against the Saints’ cap, which is nearly twice as much as Brady’s.

The New England Patriots’ contract with Brady is considered a steal when compared to where he ranks in quarterback cap hits. Tom Brady has an $8 million salary this season and a $6 million prorated portion of his bonuses, giving him a total quarterback cap hit of $14 million. That figures that Tom Brady is the 14th-biggest cap hit among quarterbacks in the NFL, according to 2015 quarterback cap hit rankings by Spotrac.

In addition, with Tom’s salary increasing each season to $8 million in 2015, $9 million in 2016, and $10 million in 2017, the New England Patriots have a huge advantage in the league. The franchise has more money to spend on other positions on the team.

Tom Brady’s contract could become important in the next two years if his performance starts to decline. Unless Brady is injured, the Patriots are off the hook from owing him. The team will also have additional capital and continue building around Brady to strengthen other parts of the team.

Tom Brady micro-manages every aspect of his life so he can keep on playing at an age when other football players retire. He goes to sleep at 8:30 p.m., and for a treat, he eats avocado-based ice cream. Tom doesn’t drink alcohol or go out after games. He even goes as far as to watch game films at 3:30 a.m.

Tom Brady admitted to the Washington Post that he loves the process of trying to perfect his skills.

“I think at this stage in my career, I’m just very efficient with how I prepare my body. I love the whole process and preparation.”

Brady shares his thoughts on playing quarterback.

“Playing quarterback, there are a lot of responsibilities and requirements. Physically, you have to be able to withstand the hits in addition to being able to throw the ball. Mentally it’s being a coach on the field. It’s being a leader.”

He goes on to explain that playing football is a challenge for him.

“For me, football is a challenge emotionally, spiritually, physically and mentally. It challenges your mental toughness. I really enjoy all of those things. I get to do something I love to do. So I don’t know if it gets any better than that. And I’m always looking for ways to improve.”

Tom Brady works diligently in combating his age and declining athleticism. He is obsessed over the small details, from his diet to his sleep.

Tom is also passionate about his throwing mechanics. Brady’s arm strength is slowly fading with age; however, his accuracy is not. This NFL season, Tom Brady is completing over 68 percent of his passes, his highest number since 2007.

In addition, Brady obsesses over his well-grooved throwing motion. Recently, the head of Patriots media relations brought him a photo to autograph. Brady refused to sign it and rejected it saying, “I don’t want that one — look at my mechanics.”

It appears Tom Brady is taking advantage of all he can in an attempt to win one or two more NFL Super Bowls.

[Photo by Elsa / Getty Images]