Tom Brady plans on playing in 2018

Whether he’s reported to Gillette Stadium or not, Tom Brady appears to be all-in for 2018.

Despite a report by ESPN last week, which said that the quarterback still hasn’t committed to playing this season, Brady’s agent, Don Yee, says his client is still committed to the Patriots. The agent told ESPN that Brady plans on playing in 2018.

"Tom's [...]

Whether he’s reported to Gillette Stadium or not, Tom Brady appears to be all-in for 2018.

Despite a report by ESPN last week, which said that the quarterback still hasn’t committed to playing this season, Brady’s agent, Don Yee, says his client is still committed to the Patriots. The agent told ESPN that Brady plans on playing in 2018.

“Tom's intentions have not changed,” Yee told ESPN. “He's consistently said he'll play beyond this contract and into his mid-40s, or until he feels he isn't playing at a championship level. I understand the constant speculation, but this is one point he's been firm about.”

Overall, that’s good news for the Patriots. With Jimmy Garoppolo in San Francisco, it would be a disaster if the quarterback decided to retire with only Brian Hoyer on the roster at the position. This news, however, likely won’t discourage the Patriots from looking strongly at the quarterback position in this weekend’s draft.

The Pats are currently connected to 13 quarterbacks in the pre-draft process. According to the NFL Network, Louisville’s Lamar Jackson had a pre-draft visit with the Pats two weeks ago.

Although Brady’s coming off an MVP season in 2017, questions still remain as to why the quarterback didn’t report to Gillette Stadium last week as the team’s offseason workout program started. It remains to be seen if Brady will join the team next month for OTAs.

This is the first time Brady hasn’t joined his teammates in Phase 1 of the offseason program since 2010. That, however, was when he lived in California. Despite not being in Gillette Stadium, Brady is still training every day, according to Yee.

"He customizes his preparation to each season in order to maximize his performance," Yee said. "His training methods are always evolving and getting better. The year he missed the first four games -- that month of training on his own was particularly efficient."

Brady’s under contract for the next two seasons. He’s set to count as a $22 million cap hit this year and next. As for his current deal, it’s been somewhat surprising that the Pats and Brady haven’t come to an agreement on an extension.

"His objective every year is to outperform his contract and his own goals,” Yee said. “And like every player, yes, he thinks about his contract -- it's a pretty natural thing to do. Every team's management knows this."