The looming story off-the-field during the past couple of months for the Patriots has been the contract of Tom Brady, and the desire to work out an extension.
Brady, who reported to camp on Sunday with the rookies (seemingly officially putting an end to any talk of him holding out this year), three days before he was required to arrive at Foxborough, is in the final year of his contract. And he wants a new deal.
This is nothing new. Talks between him and the Patriots have been ongoing, reports Albert Breer of the Boston Globe:
There have been, to quote one person close to the negotiations, a "fair amount’’ of talks over the last year. There is a belief that absent the league’s labor battle with the players’ union, a contract would be done already and this wouldn’t be an issue at all.
Indeed, the threat of a work stoppage after this season continues to strongly effect teams' decisions regarding free agents and contract. But according to ESPN's Adam Schefter, a long-term deal between Brady and the Patriots "could be completed this summer."
[O]ne person familiar with the talks said there is ongoing dialogue that he described as positive and, while no deal is imminent, one now is within reach. Brady has one year remaining on his contract.
This development is a departure from what has been reported and rumored recently, as Joel Thorman points out at SB Nation.
First, it was a "growing disconnect" between Brady and the Pats, then there was Brady's lack of attendance at the offseason program and how that would affect it all but apparently it hasn't that much.
There was some talk that the Patriots would wait for Peyton Manning to do his contract extension but, according to reports, Manning and Co. have a while to go on their new deal.
For all things Patriots, visit Pats Pulpit.