How long is the window for Brady?

Can't we just enjoy the ride?

This 4th one was such a long time coming I just want to bask for a while before moving on to next year never mind the thought of how many more with the core.

I think the second Brady feels like he can't be elite, he will retire. He is a very hard worker and in the NFL now where you can go games without getting hit, Brady could play longer than others in the past.

Realistically at his age i say 3 years max and then he'll retire. If he can play longer we all win. If he retires tomorrow, we will be grateful.

I honestly have no idea but I'd gladly accept 3 more years at this level or close to. I think they'd have a realistic shot at 2 more rings and tying the Steelers

everlong said:

Can't we just enjoy the ride?

This 4th one was such a long time coming I just want to bask for a while before moving on to next year never mind the thought of how many more with the core.

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You are right. I think folks are excited about when the chips were down in the 4th qtr how TB kicked ass at an elite level and wonder how long he can do it at this level.

So much conjecture, so many platitudes (No one can beat father time), so little logic.

Ivan said:

3-4 more years. Brady is still at the top of his game and has shown no sign of decline but he really looked weary at the end of this season and I expect the toll of playing 20 game seasons too grow over the next few seasons. If he wins another one I think he will start thinking about hanging them,up but won't actually retire until after the 2017 season. Garrapolo will get to learn the way Rodgers did and will be ready to go when Brady hangs them up with 6 rings and the record for wins.

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He threw for 10 touchdowns vs 4 INTs this postseason, including a relentless 50-pass attempt march against the best passing defense of the millennium, and you think he got tired during the stretch? If you mean he looked weary in the SB post-game, yeah, no ****: he just won the biggest game of his life.

A) Almost everyone thinks that, barring injury, Brady will be a top quarterback in 2015 and 2016. And, we have injury insurance for those years in Garappolo.

B) Brady is under contract through 2017. I would note that Brady signed a new contract that basically allowed the team to cut him at any time without having to pay any guaranteed money. So, the team could cut him after the 2015 or 2016 seasons. Folks speculate that this was done so that Brady could play elsewhere if he wished to. Kraft indicated that the contract is more complicated than folks know. My guess is that there is a no-trade clause in the contract, or no-trade without Brady's approval.

Brady gave up all his guaranteed money to get whatever protections he got, and only received a $1M pay raise as part of the deal. Of course, he does get his salary if he injured.

C) I think that Brady is like Favre. He'll want to play, even if his skills are diminished. Favre is a good example. Even in the least few years, some games and seasons were good, some were not. I suspect that Favre is fine with the choices he made.

Maybe, Brady and team will reach the point where Brady is not the right option for the patriots. Then Brady can move on to a team that Brady approves, with compensation to the patriots if this move is in 2016 or 2017.

All this is to protect Brady against the REMOTE possibility that his perceived skills will be greatly diminished before the end of his contract; that is, he could move to another team in 2016 or 2017.
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CONCLUSION
I don't think anyone expects Brady to do anything but lead the patriots for the duration of his contract, though 2017. However, protections are there.

IMHO, the most likely scenario would be for the patriots and Brady to jointly make an assessment before the 2017 season with one year left on his contract. All options would be open, including Brady staying for one more year, Brady being traded, or Brady signing an extension.

IMHO, there is no real reason to speculate or worry. The new contract is set up so that we can all take this situation one year at a time. The team will continue to try to win Super Bowls each year, and it will continue to plan for the future.

My gut tells me 5 years from now he will still be here and playing well enough to be a starter. JMO from what I read about him, his diet, and training regimen and most important love for the game. I dont think there is a QB that has ever played that loved the game or understood the position more than he does.

He is sorta the Michael Jordan of the NFL. If you think about it he has been in the same amount of finals as MJ in one less year than MJ and came a whisker away from having the same amount of rings as MJ. A ring next year would do it.

The next few years will decide whether he is further cementing his legacy as the greatest QB of all time (which he already has), challenging Rice, Brown for discussions of the greatest all time NFL player of all time (which he is in the top 10 already) or perhaps even winning one or two more and being in the discussion of the greatest athlete of all time.

Or maybe we just get several more entertaining years of TB....which is great.

I'm thinking he'll play at an elite level until the end of his current contract (likely falling behind the Rodgers and Luck or Wilson, but still top 5). I wouldn't be surprised if he then plays on a year to year contract or something similar, where he'll agree to play for his current value, so we can keep him for middle-of-the-pack money when his skill erode to middle-of-the-pack play. If we can continue to build the defense and running game, there's no reason we can't have a more average, game-managing Brady for a cheap year-to-year contract. He doesn't need money and I don't think he'd want to leave BB and Kraft over money, even if it's significant. He's not going to put $ above continuing to win, and nobody gives him a better shot at winning than BB. At least that's my fantasy, lol!

Why is there air?

Bedard thinks after the next 2 years they will start to transition to Jimmy G. Now it is possible that they may at that point want to limit TB's snaps and have him out in games that are essentially over. I could see that because you would need an adequate QB to come in.

But if TB is playing at even a reasonably decent level in 2017 and they try to move him to get younger I think you would see a riot.

It seems way back Tom said something like he told Gisele he would play until he was 40.
That happens to be when his recent contract runs out. If he was serious about that conversation
and she holds him to his word then Tom has 3 seasons left. ( if healthy)

Bruins29 said:

Bedard thinks after the next 2 years they will start to transition to Jimmy G. Now it is possible that they may at that point want to limit TB's snaps and have him out in games that are essentially over. I could see that because you would need an adequate QB to come in.

But if TB is playing at even a reasonably decent level in 2017 and they try to move him to get younger I think you would see a riot.

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Oh, well, if a media personality thinks it…. how then could I doubt that the Patriots will move on from the Superbowl MVP to start an unknown back up QB who couldn't score a point against the Bills?

Even a 4th Superbowl championship can't prevent this place from having at least one utterly unbearable thread.

PATS16N0 said:

Even a 4th Superbowl championship can't prevent this place from having at least one utterly unbearable thread.

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I think we have several. Status quo I guess.

We need a consistent running game.

I don't like having to rely on an old QB to throw 50 times in playoff games to win.

A man named Brady said:

We need a consistent running game.

I don't like having to rely on an old QB to throw 50 times in playoff games to win.

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That can happen when your #1 RB goes down.

A man named Brady said:

We need a consistent running game.

I don't like having to rely on an old QB to throw 50 times in playoff games to win.

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Look for them to draft at least 2 OGs this year.

JR4 said:

It seems way back Tom said something like he told Gisele he would play until he was 40.
That happens to be when his recent contract runs out. If he was serious about that conversation
and she holds him to his word then Tom has 3 seasons left. ( if healthy)

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He keeps telling her he wants to play 10 more years. But she says he tells her that every year.

Bruins29 said:

That can happen when your #1 RB goes down.

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Ridley isn't great anyway. I don't trust any of the RB's on the roster running the ball well against any team in the playoffs that isn't the colts