Truth be told, the imminent resolution of Tom Brady contract issue is the least of the Patriots worries this week. Fortunately, no one knows that better than Brady, who is the rare exception among professional athletes - a guy who can compartmentalize his life.
That does not mean, as some have implied, that Brady is sitting back childlike, blindly tossing footballs around while the adults decide his financial and football future. What it does mean is he is someone uniquely capable of concentrating on the moment, which is to say the Bengals, while keeping tabs on his business interests.
In other words, he’s an adult, too, which is not the case with many professional athletes in such a circumstance. If there was a bit more of that going around inside the Patriots’ organization these days things might be going a bit smoother, but all athletes are not Tom Brady, just as few quarterbacks are.
In the end Brady will be paid a lot of money but probably not what he’s worth because at this stage of his career he remains the most valuable asset in the Kraft family’s football factory. He will be paid enough, however, to satisfy himself, his family and a players’ union that is surely closely watching how this goes down.
In Indianapolis, Peyton Manning is surely waiting to see Brady’s numbers and in New Orleans Drew Brees is doing the same because what they will ultimately be paid by their owners will be impacted by what Brady settles for. He is aware of this but will not let it dictate what he feels is fair and equitable.
Brady will be ready for both [contract and season] when their time comes for the most obvious of reasons, because he’s a man, as well as The Man.
