Bucs reportedly giving Tom Brady a two-year deal

By Matt Dolloff, 985TheSportsHub.com

Tom Brady is getting a deal near the top of the market with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He's also getting it for more than one season.

As reported by ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Bucs gave Brady a two-year deal. Pair that with Ian Rapoport's report that he's getting roughly $30 million per season, and you're looking at (via Spotrac) the eighth-highest-paid quarterback in the NFL, tied with Matt Ryan. At $30 million, Brady would have the fifth-highest cap hit.

(Ben Roethlisberger is on the books for $33.5 million in 2020. Christ!!!)

Back to Brady. While the guaranteed money isn't publicly known, it's almost certainly going to be enough to force the Bucs to commit to him for the second year. That kind of commitment wasn't likely to come from the Patriots. Reports are that the Pats' final offer was for two years in the $50 million range, but it was probably more like a glorified one-year deal with no guarantee to keep him around for year 2.

The likelihood is that Brady took the plunge with Tampa - a surprising choice in terms of the market and the team's perceived chances of winning the Super Bowl compared to other suitors - because they simply showed him they truly want to commit for multiple years. And so here we are.

By the way, barring career-ending injuries or surprise retirements, this all but ensures that we will get Brady vs. Belichick in 2021. The Bucs come to Foxboro that season. The question is when it will air and which primetime slot it will get.

These next two seasons are going to be fascinating for football fans.

Matt Dolloff is a digital producer for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Have a news tip, question, or comment for Matt? Follow him on Twitter @mattdolloff or email him at matthew.dolloff@bbgi.com.