Getty The Bucs could sign Tom Brady to a contract extension.
Tom Brady is under contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for one more season but there is already talk the team could sign the star quarterback to an extension. During an interview on The Rich Eisen Show, Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht left the door open to a contract extension for Brady this offseason.
“It’s a possibility,” Licht replied when asked about an extension for Brady. “He certainly didn’t look like he slowed down any this year. So, that’s a possibility and we’ll have to see how that goes.”
When Eisen followed up by asking if Licht had already discussed this idea with Brady, the Buccaneers GM played coy but admitted, “We’d like to keep this going.”
“Well, I talk to Tom often, but I’ll probably keep that under wraps right now,” Licht added. “Like I said, I know it appears that he really had a good time this year winning the Super Bowl and likes our organization, likes our coaches, likes our head coach and ownership. And we certainly love him, so usually when you have those two things going for each other, it’s a match made in heaven. So, we’d like to keep this going.”
Listen to Licht’s comments below on Brady’s future in Tampa.
ALL the latest Bucs news straight to your inbox! Join the Heavy on Bucs newsletter here!
Brady Is Entering the Final Season of a 2-Year, $50 Million Deal With the Bucs
Brady signed a two-year, $50 million contract last offseason, which gives him a $25 million annual salary. The Bucs quarterback has repeatedly said he would like to play until he is 45 years old, which means Brady would have to sign at least one more deal. Brady will be 44 years old when the Buccaneers take the field in Week 1 next season. Prior to the Super Bowl, Brady admitted in a press conference he is open to playing football beyond his target age of 45.
“Yeah, definitely. I would definitely consider that [playing beyond the age of 45] and, again, it’s a physical sport,” Brady noted. “Just the perspective I have on that is you never know when that moment is just because it’s a contact sport and there’s a lot of training that goes into it. Again, it has to be a 100% commitment from myself to keep doing it. I’ve been very fortunate over the years. Alex and I work really hard to make sure physically I can perform at my best because you take different hits. Over the course of the year, you deal with different bumps and bruises, different injuries and so forth. It’s just going to be me continuing to make that commitment to making it part of my year-round process to play football and continue my career.”
Signing Brady to an Extension Could Free Up Salary Cap Room for the Buccaneers This Offseason
There are multiple advantages to the Buccaneers signing Brady to an extension. It not only gives the team security at the quarterback position beyond next season but allows the Bucs to have some flexibility to create additional cap space this offseason as they attempt to keep their core group together, as ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler detailed.
“Extending Tom Brady or left tackle Donovan Smith, who enter the final years of their deals at cap hits of $25 million and $14.25 million, can aid the ‘Go for 2’ cause with immediate cap relief,” Fowler noted.
READ NEXT: Tom Brady & Bucs Expected to Form ‘Super Team’ in Free Agency: Report