Report: The Patriots are Willing to Go 2 Years, $60 Million to Keep Brady

Ian Rapoport - The Patriots are intent on keeping Brady, obviously, believing he has one or two good years left. They are willing, sources say, to pay him in excess of $30 million per year to keep him in New England -- a significant commitment that would bring his salary more in line with other elite QBs.

That would help, but it may not be all. If Brady is going to return, he wants to see the team spend on some weapons -- which they attempted to do last offseason by signing Antonio Brown, only to have it fail. It would be unlike Bill Belichick to "go for it" but that may close the deal.

Technically, Brady is not allowed to sign a new deal with New England until free agency begins next month, but it is likely he will wait until then to even come close to an agreement.

Let's put aside for the moment the obvious inconsistency of anyone operating in a Salary Cap world to ask for a major bump in pay and demand the "team spend on some weapons."

Instead, let's focus on the seriousness of the Patriots commitment here. They are determined to become the GOAT's Forever Home. To boldly go with him where no starting quarterback has ever gone, to age 44 and beyond. Even if it means blowing up their own salary structure to do it. Whatever it takes. Whatever pleases Jesus.

If I'm being completely honest, I'm not entirely sure an offer of this magnitude makes sense. This Dynasty has built its church on the rock of not overpaying any one individual. NFL math continues to be a zero sum game. The only way you're going to give money to one guy is to take it from others. And for sure they've never anyone for past performance or let emotion be a factor. These decisions have never come from the heart; they've come from a spreadsheet. My first reaction to this report is it sounds like this in an exception. A paradigm shift, even That this willingness to go $30 million a year is making up for the decades Brady took less in order to put a Super Bowl team around him. The Irving J. Thalberg Award of football contracts. 

But to be fair, most of the guys at the top of the QB salary food chain went deep into the playoffs. Russell Wilson at $35 million. Aaron Rodgers at $33.5 million. The last I looked Jimmy Garoppolo was still playing later on today and he's fifth in the league at $27.5 mil. So it's quite possible this is a football/accounting decision, based on the cap going up. So maybe they feel like they can keep Brady, add some wideout talent and the tight end they desperately need, and take a chance they can keep enough Joe Thuneys, Kyle Van Noys and Devin McCourtys to remain Super Bowl contenders. 

Your guess is as good as mine. But it's not as good as Bill Belichick's. All we know for certain is they want Brady back through at least 2022.