Report: Patriots Willing to Give Tom Brady Excess of $30 million Per Year
One of the underlying factors in Tom Brady's decision to leave the New England Patriots this offseason is the team's willingness to pay a 42-year-old quarterback the going-rate for the position. With a projected $28 million in projected salary cap space this offseason, the Patriots don't have much money to reload for the 2020 season. So, reloading while also giving Brady a large contract seems like a very difficult thing to do.
But apparently that won't stop New England from offering Brady the money he wants.
According to NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport, the Patriots are reportedly willing to give Brady $30+ million to stay in New England this offseason, while saying it is a "legitimate, real option" for Brady to return to the Patriots.
"The Patriots are intent on keeping Brady, obviously, believing he has one or two good years left," Rapoport wrote Sunday morning. "They are willing, sources say, to pay him in excess of $30 million per year to keep him in New England -- a significant commitment that would bring his salary more in line with other elite QBs."
The one thing that Rapoport did not report is the amount of years the organization wants to give Brady in a contract, which will be key in contract negotiations. It has been reported that Brady wants to sign a multi-year contract along with about $30 million/year. If the Patriots come to the future Hall of Famer with a one-year deal, he may quickly reject that offer.
Rapoport also mentioned that one of Brady's demands if he comes back to the team is that the front-office spends money to add offensive weapons. That is completely fair, as the team did not fully address the offensive issues in the passing game once Rob Gronkowski announced his retirement last offseason. If Brady is going to come back to the Patriots, he wants to make sure he has enough talent around him to succeed.
