Unless you’ve been living under a rock somewhere, you are probably aware that the Patriots and Tom Brady agreed to a four-year contract extension earlier this week. The deal has been signed, the paperwork has been submitted to the league, but until today Brady had yet to acknowledge the new deal publicly.
Bill Belichick addressed the situation on Friday during his press conference. When asked about Brady’s contract, this is what the head coach had to say:
“Look, there’s no quarterback I’d rather have than Tom Brady. He does a great job for us in all phases of the game. I think right now, Tom, myself and all the rest of us are trying to get ready for Cincinnati.”
Meanwhile, Tom Brady and Robert Kraft released a joint statement on the new deal.
Here is Tom Brady’s statement:
“I have never been comfortable talking about my contract and certainly didn't want discussions of my contract negotiations to serve as a distraction to any of my teammates as we have been preparing for the Cincinnati Bengals and the start of the 2010 season. However, I do want to express my appreciation to Mr. Kraft and Jonathan Kraft for extending my opportunity to play for the New England Patriots. I am grateful for all that the Kraft family has done for me, both personally and professionally, and for all they have done for my family. Not only have I had the good fortune of playing for just one franchise, I have also played for the greatest head coach and with some of the best teammates a player could ever ask for. My teammates, both past and present, are the main reason why we have accomplished so much over the years. I love playing in New England and appreciate all the support that our fans give us. I look forward to tomorrow's game and the start of another exciting season."
Here is Robert Kraft’s statement:
“We have been very fortunate to have Tom Brady as the quarterback of the New England Patriots for the past decade. I am glad that this contract extension will allow his tenure to continue well into the next decade. Tom has been a terrific representative for the Patriots and a great leader for this franchise. Since he first arrived, no player has worked harder and been more driven to succeed than Tom. His core values have kept him grounded, despite his many successes, and he remains a consummate professional, both on and off the field. It is much easier to reward a player for his professional accomplishments when you have such respect for him personally and I have a tremendous amount of respect for Tom and for everything he has accomplished in his life. There is no one that I would rather have leading this team and I am happy to reward him with this contract extension.”
Tom Brady and the New England Patriots will face off against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday to kick off the 2010 NFL season.
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