Tom Brady recently signed a two-year extension with the New England Patriots that will keep him under contract until 2019, when he turns 42.
The contract, via terms reported by CBS Sports NFL Insider Jason La Canfora, will also protect him in the event he is suspended by the NFL for Deflategate.
Brady previously had a base salary of $9 million for 2016 but now, per La Canfora, will have just a $1 million salary for this coming season. The court system is still dealing with the NFL's appeal of Brady's previous victory.
(Yes, Brady remains criminally underpaid regardless of the number.)
As noted by the Boston Globe's Ben Volin, a four-game suspension now would only cost Brady a couple hundred thousand in lost salary, instead of $2 million plus.
With his new contract, Brady will save himself almost $2 million if he ends up serving a 4-game suspension pic.twitter.com/4h7B16JYyq
— Ben Volin (@BenVolin) March 10, 2016
But perhaps the most stunning fact of all when it comes to Brady's contract? He's owed $7 million less than new Texans quarterback Brock Osweiler over the next three years.
But all told Brady gets $41 million in new money. He'll carry cap hits of $14 million, $14 million, $22 million and $22 million, La Canfora reports.
In 2018 his base salary will rise to $14 million over the final two years of the deal.
Per CBSSports.com's Joel Corry, the Patriots can exit the Brady deal in 2018 if they want -- Brady has no guaranteed money and would only be a $14 million dead cap hit. Brady's cap hit drops to $7 million in 2019.
If he plays out the contract he'll be 42. And if Deflategate ends up factoring into his salary at this point, Brady might get angry enough to play until he's 45.
