When Tom Brady signed his two-year, $41 million contract extension with the Patriots last off season, it was constructed in a way to help the team gain more financial flexibility. The contract included a $28 million signing bonus that was to be paid out in two installments; one $14 million installment at the time of the contract’s signing, and another $14 million installment that was paid this past Friday. As a result of the way that Brady’s contract is constructed, the 39-year-old quarterback is on the books for a salary of just $1 million next season. Brady’s willingness to defer his contract payments gives the Patriots the ability to sign marquee free agents such as Stephon Gilmore, who the team signed to a massive six-year, $57 million contract last month. Brady’s deferred payment structure isn’t uncommon in the NFL. Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck also has a deferred payment structure in the contract extension he signed last June in the form of a $32 million signing bonus that will be paid in two installments.
