As the New England Patriots look to grab their fifth Super Bowl title of the Tom Brady era, it’s becoming more apparent than ever that he plans on playing well into his 40s. Considering just how well Brady has performed this season, that shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise.
Brady, 39, put up 28 touchdowns compared to just two interceptions en route to leading the Patriots to an 11-1 regular season mark in 12 starts. This came after Brady was suspended the first four games due to his alleged role in the Deflategate scandal.
Now comes this report from NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport indicating that the Patriots will look to give Brady a contract extension next offseason.
#Patriots will look to extend QB Tom Brady next offseason, source says. Clear indication they believe his proclamation to play into his 40s.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 5, 2017
Rapoport also indicated that the Patriots believe Brady will play another three-to-five years. That would potentially take him up to his 44th birthday.
Brady is currently under contract through the 2019 season and just signed a two-year, $41 million extension back in March of 2016. He’s set to count $56 million against the cap during this three-year span.
If the Pats are thinking about handing Brady an extension, it now makes sense why Jimmy Garoppolo’s name keeps coming up in trade discussions. Seen as starter-ready, there’s no reason to believe that the former second-round pick would sit around for three-plus seasons continuing to learn from Brady as nothing more than a clipboard holder.