Is there a player in the NFL who is having a better offseason than Tom Brady? The man led his team to a record comeback in the Super Bowl to win his fifth, which likely settled the argument on Brady being considered the greatest quarterback of all time. He did experience a minor roadblock when his Super Bowl jersey was stolen, but authorities recently tracked down the jersey he wore in this most recent Super Bowl, along with the jersey he wore in Super Bowl 49 against the Seattle Seahawks as well! And now, Brady has even more to smile about, because his bank account is looking a lot nicer after this last Friday.
When Tom Brady signed his two-year, $41 million contract extension with the Patriots last off season, it was constructed in a way to help the team gain more financial flexibility. The contract included a $28 million signing bonus that was to be paid out in two installments; one $14 million installment at the time of the contract's signing, and another $14 million installment that was paid this past Friday.
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As a result of the way that Brady's contract is constructed, the 39-year-old quarterback is on the books for a salary of just $1 million next season. Brady's willingness to defer his contract payments gives the Patriots the ability to sign marquee free agents such as Stephon Gilmore, who the team signed to a massive six-year, $57 million contract last month.
Brady's deferred payment structure isn't uncommon in the NFL. Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck also has a deferred payment structure in the contract extension he signed last June in the form of a $32 million signing bonus that will be paid in two installments.
