Patriots Must Prioritize Tom Brady Extension Now That Julian Edelman is Signed

According to reports on Tuesday, New England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman received a two-year contract extension, including an $8 million signing bonus and $12 million guaranteed, that will keep him in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts through 2021. With one piece of the invaluable wide receiver-quarterback tandem now locked in, it's now Tom Brady's turn to get locked in for the duration. And the Pats need to get moving on this sooner rather than later.

Now that WR Julian Edelman is taken care of, the Patriots can move on to extending QB Tom Brady, who has one year remaining on his contract that currently is scheduled to pay him $14 million in base salary.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) May 21, 2019

Brady is set to enter the final season of his current two-year, $30 million deal with New England that he signed before the 2018 campaign. Edelman has been the perfect partner Brady during his time in Foxborough, providing a security blanket for the legendary QB in the biggest moments.

Edelman, the reigning Super Bowl MVP, will now likely be with New England for the rest of his NFL career. Brady is certain to do so as well, but the franchise would be smart to hammer out the details now so it's not hanging over their heads when there are actual games to play.

Two-year extension puts Edelman under contract through 2021, which would be Tom Brady's age 44 season. Hmm... https://t.co/Guwfbh4Qaw
— Ben Volin (@BenVolin) May 21, 2019

It's on the Pats' front office to keep TB12 in the building (and happy) for as long as he is throwing footballs in the NFL. With Brady technically set to become an unrestricted free agent after this season, there's no better time than now to sit down at the negotiating table and pay the GOAT what he's worth.