Cam Newton and the New England Patriots stole the NFL headlines for all of an hour earlier than Tom Brady determined to grab them away, agreeing to phrases with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on a inventive contract extension, per CBS Sports activities Insider Jason La Canfora. It’s a four-year contract that — as has develop into all the craze in a pandemic-fueled wage cap crunch — consists of three voidable years, primarily locking him in for less than an additional 12 months. Buccaneers common supervisor Jason Licht will sure take it, contemplating it secures Brady by means of no less than 2022 and offers much-needed cap aid within the course of.

The transfer lessens Brady’s coming cap hit in 2021 from the heft $28.38 million that was set to land, and can permit extra motion as they try to re-sign gamers like future Corridor of Fame tight finish Rob Gronkowski, pass-rush dynamo Shaquil Barrett and an inventory of others, having already locked up linebacker Lavonte David on a two-year deal that itself consists of two voidable years. 

For sure, the five-time Tremendous Bowl MVP is happy.

Brady’s extension will reportedly save the Buccaneers upwards of $19 million towards this 12 months’s wage cap, per Adam Schefter of ESPN, the ultimate determine having been set at $182.5 million by the NFL and NFLPA. 

Preserving Brady in tow past 2021 has been a purpose of Licht’s for weeks now, if not longer, and he simply completed it.

“I speak to Tom usually,” Licht stated in late February to “The Wealthy Eisen Present“. “Most likely hold that below wraps, proper now. It seems that he actually had fun this 12 months — successful the Tremendous Bowl. [He] likes our group, likes our coaches, likes our head coach and possession. And we definitely love him. Often when you’ve gotten these issues going for one another, it is a match made in heaven. 

“So we would wish to hold this going.”

It is normally unfathomable to contemplate an NFL participant nonetheless suiting up as he approaches the age of fifty, not to mention one nonetheless enjoying at a excessive degree, however these are two issues Brady would possibly quickly personal. Having already shattered a slew of data in his illustrious future Corridor of Fame profession, the aggressive fires inside the 43-year-old haven’t waned one bit and it is doable he is eyeing an much more incomprehensible mark: to personal 10 Tremendous Bowl rings. His present tally of seven is already greater than some other franchise within the league, however he is by no means let go of the sting of the three Tremendous Bowls he misplaced, and narrowly, that might have already got him with 10 Lombardi trophies. 

He’ll now get an opportunity to land No. 8 and No. 9 however, if he does, why would he cease one shy of getting a shot at having a hoop for each finger and each thumbs? That is precisely what Licht is banking on, so we are able to all in all probability count on one other dialog between he and Brady in a 12 months or so from now.

As for Father Time, effectively, he’ll simply should take up a passion whereas he waits for Brady to start out declining.