Patriots About to Guarantee Tom Brady's Contract Through 2017

Folks, we've almost made it through a roller coaster season. There have been lows and there have been highs. Great plays and bad ones. The most important player on the team has remained healthy and that brings us to an important footnote on the season.

Patriots quarterback Tom Brady is healthy and is expected to be on the roster for next Sunday's game against the Buffalo Bills. Due to Brady's contract structure, his being on the roster for Week 17 fully guarantees the $24 million in base salary from 2015-2017.

Oh, that's not a typo. The Patriots are paying Brady $24 million over the next three season (although it should be noted that his signing bonus is spread over the final three seasons and amounts to $6 million per year). Brady's cap hit will be $13 million, $14 million, and $15 million over the next three seasons, respectively. His 2015 cap hit ranks 17th in the league for quarterbacks, and is nearly $10 million less than Peyton Manning's.

So congratulations and get the champagne ready. Should the Patriots beat the Bills, Brady will set the league record for most quarterback wins with a single franchise (h/t Michaelm2434). We're about to have Brady at the helm for three more years. Let's hope this never ends.