Tom Brady's bargain basement salary

Though this doesn't answer the reason why, the author doesn't take into account the value of Super Bowl rings, which are priceless.

http://mmqb.si.com/mmqb/2015/09/30/tom-brady-contract-nfl-patriots-salary-cap

The huge discount Tom has been giving the team is invaluable. He is already the MVP on the team but that puts him over the top.

Plus he pays all his money to the ball boys so he can cheat!!! And Belicheat too. Cheatriots. Asterisks.

Go Colts/Steelers/Ravens/Jets/Bills!

Informative writeup, but how can he not address the impact on structuring a team under the salary cap? The team was able to use the money "for other purposes"? As if the Patriots saved money by paying Brady less, rather than just allocating the same cap dollars differently??? As if Brady's teammates don't receive every dollar he gives up?

Brady’s 2015 compensation of $8 million is roughly 1) a quarter of Wilson, Eli Manning, Rivers, Roethlisberger and Newton ($31 million and above); 2) a half of Peyton Manning, Jay Cutler and top rookies Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota ($15 million or above); and 3) $11 million less than longtime peer Drew Brees ($19 million).

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we are lucky to have this guy

patchick said:

Informative writeup, but how can he not address the impact on structuring a team under the salary cap? The team was able to use the money "for other purposes"? As if the Patriots saved money by paying Brady less, rather than just allocating the same cap dollars differently??? As if Brady's teammates don't receive every dollar he gives up?

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The author mentions "cap flexibility" early in the article, and I think it's implied throughout the article.

raduray said:

The author mentions "cap flexibility" early in the article, and I think it's implied throughout the article.

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Maybe so, but I kept looking for some reference to the zero-sum game that is player contracts and just couldn't find it. Instead I kept finding references to Brady's "harsh discount" and how the team benefits financially because a non-guaranteed contract doesn't "trigger a funding requirement."

IMO anyone who didn't have a firm grasp on salary cap dynamics would take away the main message that the cheapo Patriots are stiffing Brady to line their own pockets.

And other teams and their fans wonder why we keep having a competitive team year in year out. It's not a secret. We spread the wealth. Enjoy your trickle down economics team.

IllegalContact said:

we are lucky to have this guy

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I don't think even our fan base realize how fortunate we are. Especially those that have been wanting him traded

People talk about Brady's contract a lot but the Patriots have a lot of really good ones. Gronk/Edelman are both underpaid tbh.

Gronk to me should be a 12-13M a year player but is is well below that. Edelman is playing like a 6-7M a year WR but is well below that.

Wendell is also underpaid for what he provides IMO. They have a lot of very good offensive contracts.

In contrast I also think they have some meh to bad contracts.

Ironically, this is the only cheating Brady has done. He's cheated himself so his team can win. How come ESPN doesn't do a story on that?

CHEAPSKATEGATE*



*stolen from comments of original article

patchick said:

IMO anyone who didn't have a firm grasp on salary cap dynamics would take away the main message that the cheapo Patriots are stiffing Brady to line their own pockets.

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Well that is the MO of the 32 NFL* teams. Stiff everyone and anyone to line their own pockets.

patchick said:

Maybe so, but I kept looking for some reference to the zero-sum game that is player contracts and just couldn't find it. Instead I kept finding references to Brady's "harsh discount" and how the team benefits financially because a non-guaranteed contract doesn't "trigger a funding requirement."

IMO anyone who didn't have a firm grasp on salary cap dynamics would take away the main message that the cheapo Patriots are stiffing Brady to line their own pockets.

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You can just say "Michael Felger". We all know!

In all fairness, when Brady accepts his yellow jacket in Canton and then his red jacket in Foxboro that same year, the Krafts should hand him a stock certificate for 10% of the team.

I know it would be illegal, but it's really his due.

Raymond said:

In all fairness, when Brady accepts his yellow jacket in Canton and then his red jacket in Foxboro that same year, the Krafts should hand him a stock certificate for %10 of the team.

I know it would be illegal, but it's really his due.

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There must be some Draft kings/fan duel version of stock options that we can give him.

I swear I only listen to these guys when WEEI is on commercial, BUT this came up on F&M last night: caller mentioned how the Pats are 'cheating' because Brady is independently wealthy and doesn't ask for top dollar the way other QB's do and blah blah blah. Felger at first 'defended' the Pats by saying it's not at all cheating for a player to take less money in support a better team, but you could just hear his wheels turning and then he said something about 'but you know, money could be coming in from other sources, Brady has his new performance institute, trainers, ...' and you could just hear the little mouse in his brain running frantically to get the right spin on this.

End of the day it's a HUGE advantage, and I'm surprised as a serious face of the NFLPA that Brady isn't pressured into asking and demanding for top dollar. But the fact is he IS already rich, with an obscenely rich wife, and doesn't seem to care as much about getting every last dollar knowing that money will instead be pumped into the team to make it better. Nothing but a good thing for us Pats fans!

This years pre Super Bowl scandal is going to be "are the patriots cheating the salary cap?"

Brady does take a tremendous home town discount, and I hope that gives him weight with who plays around him: good receiving threats and a good Oline. Ever since 2007 the team has emphasized putting weapons around Brady. Even going too zealously to lockup targets in the case of Hernandez.

But let's not forget teams like the Dolphins and the Bears here. The market prices are inflated. Bad teams are desperately throwing money at players hoping they'll be good enough. Almost $20 million a year for Tannehill. $18 million a year for Cutler. Even good QBs like Roethlisberger and we'll say Romo, are injured and on $21.8 and $18 million average yearly salaries respectively. It's overly idealistic to tie up 14%+ of your salary cap on one man out of a 53 man roster. Even Rodgers and Greenbay, where the money might be worth it, only works because they did pay the right guy and they have good heads in place that can keep a steady stream of new talent on rookie contracts instead of paying the inflated marketplace. In my opinion, teams better be damn sure that a player will be top of the league for some time before committing 10% or more to them, and the teams that will pay that out of free agency don't have the agency to know better. You're basically saying this pro athlete is worth having over 5 more pro athletes, and it's very seldom that that is the case.

hambone1818 said:

I swear I only listen to these guys when WEEI is on commercial, BUT this came up on F&M last night: caller mentioned how the Pats are 'cheating' because Brady is independently wealthy and doesn't ask for top dollar the way other QB's do and blah blah blah. Felger at first 'defended' the Pats by saying it's not at all cheating for a player to take less money in support a better team, but you could just hear his wheels turning and then he said something about 'but you know, money could be coming in from other sources, Brady has his new performance institute, trainers, ...' and you could just hear the little mouse in his brain running frantically to get the right spin on this.

End of the day it's a HUGE advantage, and I'm surprised as a serious face of the NFLPA that Brady isn't pressured into asking and demanding for top dollar. But the fact is he IS already rich, with an obscenely rich wife, and doesn't seem to care as much about getting every last dollar knowing that money will instead be pumped into the team to make it better. Nothing but a good thing for us Pats fans!

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Something tells me TB12 would still play for what he is currently without being married to someone worth $400m.

Thats just who he is.