According to Ian Rapoport, Patriots QB Tom Brady‘s new deal has a provision stipulating the Patriots cannot use the franchise tag on him for the 2020 season.
Because Brady’s final two years on his deal void on the last day of the 2019 league year, the two sides will have to find another way to keep Brady a Patriot if they want to remain together in 2020.
That makes the two years added onto Brady’s extension yesterday dummy years to create cap space for the Patriots. Rapoport reported yesterday that the deal included Brady $30 million in 2020 and $32 million in 2021.
Brady turned 42 on August 3 and this deal makes it clear he and the Patriots will be taking things year by year going forward. Brady has said his personal goal is to play until he’s 45 years old.
Brady, 42, is a former sixth-round pick of the Patriots back in 2000. He signed a two-year, $41 million contract extension with the Patriots back in 2016, which included a $28 million signing bonus.
In 2018, Brady appeared in all 16 games for the Patriots and completed 65.8 percent of their passes for 4,355 yards, 29 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. Pro Football Focus rated him as the No. 3 quarterback out of 38 qualifying players.
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