Some of us might not be familiar with this sport, but I am sure at some point most of us saw footages of athletes, who were mounted with huge helmets, were chasing a guy running towards the end of the field while clutching an elongated ball. The runner is being defended from getting tackled by his burly teammates, who are always willing to throw their bodies in the rushing mob.
It’s what we call American football. There were times when local cable networks broadcasted games of the sport on a weekly basis along with the Super Bowl. However, it still makes me wonder why the game is called as “football” when most of the time the ball is hand-carried and thrown around.
The sport also has its superstars. Like any other American major league sports, American football players earn obscene amounts of money. One of them is the legend-in-the-making, Tom Brady, who at 42 years of age, recently had a new multi-million dollar deal with a new team.
As a quarterback (American football’s version of basketball’s point guard), Brady spent his first 20 seasons in the National Football League (NFL) with the New England Patriots. He led the team to six Super Bowl titles – the most of any player in the history of the NFL.
Brady also won a record of four Super Bowl MVPs and three NFL regular season MVPs. When the Patriots defeated the LA Rams in Super Bowl LIII, Brady became the oldest quarterback to win the citation at 41 years old.
Brady signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers two weeks ago. NFL fans will surely miss the Patriot’s No. 12 quarterback, who for the past two decades is just purely Brady. Tampa, meanwhile, is hoping that Brady’s championship pedigree will rub off on the team since they are paying him big bucks for it. Brady’s new team last won the Super Bowl 18 years ago.
The two-year deal of Brady with the Bucs is worth $59 million – $50 million guaranteed. The remaining $9 million, divided into two seasons, is dependent on several factors. If Brady does collect the remaining amount, he will be the first Buccaneer quarterback to do so since 2007.
If the Bucs reach the playoffs, Brady will get a $500,000 bonus. He will earn an extra $250,000 if his team will win a playoff game. If the Bucs will reach the National Football Conference (NFL’s south conference division) championships, that’s another $500,000 for him. Finally, if the team would win the Super Bowl, it’s a cool $2.25 million for Brady.
A $500,000 bonus is also waiting for Brady if he finishes in top five of the following categories: passer ratings, yards, touchdown passes, completion percentages, and yards per attempt. With 17 playoff appearances during his time with the Patriots, imagine all the bonuses Brady could have gotten from his previous team if they have made the same incentive structure.
Brady is past his prime, but he’s healthy and his chances of earning some extra incentives are above- average. If he does the unexpected and lead the Bucs to win football’s biggest game, he will be the oldest NFL player to win the Super Bowl./PN
