Tom Brady said in October that he plans to play for another 10 years. The New England Patriots are willing to let him try.
The team on Monday reached agreement on a two-year contract extension for the star quarterback, keeping him under lock and key through 2019, NFL Media's Albert Breer reported, per a team source.
ESPN first broke the news of Brady's extension.
Set to turn 39 in August, the extension will keep Brady in a Patriots uniform until he's 42 years old. Whether or not coach Bill Belichick remains in place that long is another question, but the duo have been joined at the hip since Brady was picked in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft. If he plays through the deal, 2019 would serve as the quarterback's 20th season in the NFL.
The financials behind the extension have yet to be released, but Brady is scheduled to cost $15 million against the cap next season and another $16 million in 2017 under his current deal. Coming off another MVP-level season, his base salary makes him one of the league's most underpaid signal-callers after signing a five-year, $60 million contract in 2013.
The AFC East has channeled through Foxborough without fail since Brady took over the reins in 2001. Seemingly not human, he grows more effective with age and each new season, making mincemeat annually of the Bills, Dolphins and Jets inside the division while helping the Patriots to six AFC crowns and four Super Bowl titles along the way.
Whatever they pay Brady, it won't be enough. And if he says he'll play for another decade -- who are we to doubt him?
