Tom Brady took part in a funny prank during an appearance Thursday on 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!'' but then turned serious and succinctly explained why he'd rather win than command a huge salary.
First, the fun stuff. Host Kimmel dared the Patriots quarterback to throw a football through the upstairs window of a Los Angeles-area home some 20 yards away. Brady not only hit the window, he nailed it dead center (don't worry, it wasn't a random act of vandalism — actor Matt Damon, a big Patriots fan, quickly emerged from the house in what was certainly a preplanned skit).
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Brady posted the video on Twitter, noting, "I really didn’t want to get in the middle of this."
I really didn’t want to get in the middle of this.. #KIMMEL #TONIGHT @jimmykimmel @IAMGUILLERMO pic.twitter.com/kbo64exBUa
— Tom Brady (@TomBrady) May 2, 2019
But during the sit-down portion of his visit to the late-night show, Brady provided a thoughtful explanation on why, despite his six Super Bowl championships and Hall of Fame passing numbers, he's only the 18th-highest paid quarterback in the NFL, with his contract's average annual value of $15 million. That's below such quarterbacks as Joe Flacco, Nick Foles and Jimmy Garoppolo. Right behind him in the salary rankings are a bunch of quarterbacks (including Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold and Mitch Trubisky) still working on their bargain rookie deals.
Kimmel specifically asked Brady why he's not the highest-paid player in the NFL.
"That's a good question. That's usually, when I don't want to answer a question, I always say, 'That's a good question,'" Brady said. "I think the thing I've always felt for me in my life, winning has been a priority. And my wife [model Gisele Bundchen] makes a lot of money.
"I'm a little smarter than you think. Actually, it's a salary cap. You can only spend so much and the more that one guy gets is less for others. And for a competitive advantage standpoint, I like to get a lot of good players around me."
Brady has alluded to all this before, but coming on the heels of the Patriots' latest Super Bowl victory, over the Rams earlier this year, it's a reminder of one of the reasons behind the team's enduring success.
Brady, who turns 42 in August, has said he wants to play until he's 45. His current two-year contract is up after this season. Given his statement on Kimmel's show, don't be surprised if he signs another "team-first" deal.