'Contract Language' Holding Up Tom Brady From Signing With Tampa Bay

BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — As of Thursday morning, Tom Brady has not officially signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter reported late Wednesday night that "contract language" was holding up the finalization of the contract, but that it will get done.

When Schefter says that "contract language more challenging this off-season than any time in recent memory," he's referring to the coronavirus pandemic, which has shut down team facilities and made it difficult for players who are switching teams via trade or free agency to get physicals as the final steps before a transaction can be officially completed.

There may be a few other factors at play here in regards to Brady, but NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport says scheduling his physical with a doctor trusted by both sides is what is holding things up.

Jeff Darlington of ESPN reported shortly after that Brady is willing to take the physical today in New York City, and that he has a doctor ready in Manhattan, and that things are moving along just fine between the quarterback and the Bucs.

Tampa Bay already has skill players in receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, to go along with tight ends O.J. Howard and Cameron Brate. But with six-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady now expected to be the one throwing passes to them, other players around the league are reaching out to climb aboard the Buccaneers' pirate ship.

Schefter reported Thursday morning, that this is similar to when NBA Superstar LeBron James signed with the Miami Heat in 2010, creating a "super team" with fellow stars Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh.

It remains to be seen who those players are, but we have mentioned in our "Brady Watch" coverage the report that Brady and Antonio Brown have been in contact through all of this, with the hope that they would be able to team up in 2020. Brown is not currently on the Commissioner's Exempt List, but the popular thought is, if he was to sign with a team, he would be placed on the list while the league finishes it's investigation after all the incidents he was involved in last fall.

Meanwhile in New England, as Patriots fans attempt to comes to grips with reality that Tom Brady will no longer be under center for their favorite team this fall. The organization has bought 12 billboards across the region thanking the greatest quarterback of all-time.

WBZ NewsRadio's Dan Watkins (@DanWatkinsRadio) reports:

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