Tom vs Time: Brady Says He’ll Be in New England in 2019 and “Hopefully Beyond”

When it comes to Tom Brady’s future in New England, nothing is above scrutiny.

Yesterday at practice, Brady switched helmets, leading some to speculate it was a sign he was already focusing on playing far into the future. (The helmet model Brady wears now is antiquated and will be phased out of the league due to concussion concerns following this season.)

That move would seemingly flew in the face of rumors Brady might sit out the Patriots first preseason game last week with a back injury — an issue that’s common to 41-year-old men, but not starting NFL quarterbacks who have much longer to play in the league.

Then you have the confusing state of Brady’s contract, which was just redone with $5 million in performance-based incentives – that if he reaches will make him as highly paid as Blake Bortles -but was not extended beyond next season.

On a Tuesday morning radio appearance on Boston’s WEEI, Brady addressed most of those issues and indicated he still plans to be playing in New England “next year and hopefully beyond.”

“I love this team and this organization,” Brady said. “Like I said, it has been my home for a long time. I love being here and this community, this organization, I love winning. I love that my family has had a home for a long time. I think those have been my priorities for as long as I have been in this game.”

As for rumors about his relationship with coach Bill Belichick being on the rocks after nearly 20 years together, Brady said the pair’s “priorities are the same as they have always been.”

“We’re here to win and like I said, it has been a very professional environment that he has created,” Brady said. “I think I am very lucky to be in that environment. I think he is the best coach that has ever coached in the NFL and I feel very privileged to kind of have been mentored by him for as long as I have.”