New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady told Boston sports radio station WEEI that his decision to sign a three-year, $27 million contract extension was about the opportunity to help the team win.
"I really do just want to win, and that has and will continue to be the reason that motivates me and is the biggest factor in my decision-making process," he wrote in an email to WEEI host John Dennis, who was hoping to get Brady to call into Wednesday morning's show.
"I don’t want to talk about this on the radio or anywhere else for that matter," Brady wrote, according to WEEI. "Athletes are always talking about money at a time when everyone else is struggling so badly to make it. We all make way more than our fair share. And I just think it reflects poorly on myself and my teammates."
According to league sources, Brady received a $30 million signing bonus with the deal that extends the quarterback through the 2017 season and clears up $15 million of cap space for the team over the next two seasons. He is guaranteed $57 million, even in the event of injury; however, he can be released for performance reasons and would not receive all of the money.
Neither Brady nor the Patriots had commented publicly as an organization regarding the extension before the quarterback broke his silence Wednesday.