Aside from making records on the field, Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady is also making marks when it comes to his off-field endeavors, such as endorsement deals. According to Luke Easterling of USA Today, the 44-year-old Brady set a new record when it comes to income earned by an NFL player from deals negotiated by the NFL Players Association (NFLPA). Easterling, citing a report by The Athletic, Brady raked in a whopping $9.5 million, way ahead of the previous mark of $3.3 million set by Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
“To put that figure into perspective, rarely has a player cracked $4 million in the two decades the union has been required to file the document publicly,” it said. Brady’s income from NFLPA negotiated deals came from jerseys, video games and trading cards. Brady gets paid royalties depending on the sales of sales and trading cards.
As of now, the seven-time Super Bowl champion is also busy establishing his own clothing line named “Brady”. Brady is set to return for his 23rd NFL season and his third with the Buccaneers. In his first season in Tampa Bay, Brady led the team to its first Super Bowl title since 2002 by beating Mahomes and the Chiefs in Super Bowl LV. Last season, the Buccaneers failed to make it back-to-back as they lost to the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Divisional Round.
After that loss, Brady announced his retirement but decided to come back 41 days later. If he eventually retires, Brady is set to join the Fox Sports booth as its No. 1 analyst after signing a 10-year deal worth $375 million.
Brady speaks for first time about return
On Wednesday, Brady spoke about his return to the NFL after a 41-day retirement, per Jenna Laine of ESPN.
According to Brady, he felt the pressure to announce his return because of the free agency. "At this stage, it's like 55% yes and 45% no. It's not 100-0. That's just the reality,” Brady said in a media conference following “The Match” where he and Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers defeated the tandem of Mahomes and Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen.
But Brady clarified that he’s 100 percent committed to returning and playing for his 8th Super Bowl title. “We got right to free agency and I felt some pressure to do it and talked to the team and organization, and it all worked out,” he added. Brady said family played a big part in his indecision to return to the NFL as he has responsibilities as a husband and father. But his wife, supermodel Gisele Bundchen, has done an amazing job addressing their family’s needs as he continues to work on the football field. Bundchen earlier expressed full support to Brady’s decision to return for another NFL season. However, Brady did not address his future beyond the upcoming season. He is under contract with the Buccaneers for the upcoming season and is slated to turn free agent after that.
