The New England Patriots and quarterback Tom Brady have reached an agreement on a two-year contract extension which will keep him as the Patriots quarterback through the 2019 season, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. The Patriots quarterback and future Hall of Famer turns 39 years old in August and would become the fourth player to play 20 or more seasons with one team.
Brady and head coach Bill Belichick have been the model of consistency in the NFL and have made the postseason seven straight seasons and have been in the AFC Championship game for five straight seasons. Brady was still one of the most dominant quarterbacks in the league during the 2015 season, completing 64.4 percent of his passes for 4,770 yards and threw 36 touchdowns to 7 interceptions.
The Patriots are making some moves this offseason and are reportedly in the market for a free agent veteran running back. While some changes may be coming to New England's offense in 2016, expect to still see number 12 lined up behind center. The former sixth round draft pick has been one of the greatest to ever play the game with four Super Bowl rings and two NFL MVPs and has played under one of the greatest coaches in the history of the sport in Belichick.
The Patriots used a second round pick to draft backup quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo in the 2014 NFL Draft, and his rookie contract expires following the 2017 season. Brady's extension puts Garoppolo's future with the team in doubt, as it sounds like New England may not be sold on him as its next franchise quarterback. Garoppolo may also want to get out of New England when his contract is up, as he may not want the pressure of replacing one of the all-time greats in Brady.
It's uncertain what Garoppolo's future is in New England, but it's possible it could be a similar situation to what quarterback Brock Osweiler is dealing with in Denver right now. Brady is clearly playing better than Manning late in his career, but it also must be remembered that Manning broke NFL records just two seasons ago in Denver.
Manning and Brady are clearly two completely different players, but Father Time catches everyone, even two of the best quarterbacks to ever play the game. Patriots fans know they'll likely have Brady for at least a couple more seasons behind center, which should continue to put them as one of the heavy favorites in the AFC, but it likely only clouds Garoppolo's future as the next quarterback in New England.
