NFL Rumors: New England’s Final Offer To Tom Brady Likely To Fall Short

The New England Patriots have made their final offer to Tom Brady, but it will likely come up short as the quarterback heads to a new home for the first time in two decades.

Brady is headed to free agency for the first time in his career, but WEEI reported that the Patriots have made what is expected to be a “take it or leave it” final pitch to Brady before he tests the open market. The report noted that the team would only be able to offer Brady a one-year contract that would pay him even less than the $23 million that he made in the 2019 season, as the team is strapped for cash and cap space.

The report added that Brady had a call with Patriots coach Bill Belichick this week to discuss the team’s final offer, with the report noting that the call “didn’t go well” for one of the parties and was “business as usual” for the other.

If that amount of the final offer is correct, it likely spells the end of Brady’s time in New England. Previous reports have indicated that he was seeking more than $30 million per year in his final contract, putting him at the top tier of quarterback pay after years of accepting team-friendly contracts with the Patriots to enable the team to spend more to surround him with talent.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbRZnaZCg5M

Earlier reports indicated that Brady’s desire to get north of $30 million was a source of frustration for the Patriots. As the New York Post noted, a previous report indicated that the Patriots were willing to pay that amount or more, which skewed negotiations.

“The Sunday report that the Patriots were willing to go north of $30M (presumably for one-year’s salary) to keep Brady, which came from Ian Rapoport of NFL Media, has been a source of irritation for the team this week,” the report noted.

“My understanding is no parameters have been set. That number is now an albatross to the proceedings.”

Reports have indicated that there are as many as a dozen teams interested in making a run at Brady, including the Los Angeles Chargers and Tennessee Titans. League insiders said that the 43-year-old Brady wants to go to a team that would give him the best chance of winning another Super Bowl in his remaining years in the league.

It was not clear what the Patriots would do if Brady leaves in free agency, though they have been connected to a number of other top quarterbacks including Cam Newton.