New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft told The Athletic that he is comfortable with Tom Brady's current contract, which runs through the 2019 season.
"He'll be 41 when the season starts," Kraft told the website. "Neither side has an issue with it. If it becomes an issue, we'll deal with it."
Brady has agreed to five contract extensions with the Patriots, and four of those came when the star quarterback had two years left on his current deals. The exception was the four-year deal he signed in 2010 because his major knee injury that cost him most of the 2008 season made a contract agreement in 2009 unrealistic.
Brady seemed dejected in the final episode of his Facebook docuseries "Tom vs. Time." But at the recent NFL owners meetings, Kraft downplayed the notion that his quarterback's playing future might be in question, pointing out that Brady's mood was likely more affected by a close Super Bowl loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.
"I think anyone right after a Super Bowl loss -- fortunately we've had the privilege to go to nine of them. Probably we're not quite as jaded, but the loss -- except for winning the first one, when you lose, the feeling of losing [overtakes] the [joy] of winning," Kraft said. "I think Tommy is in that category. I think Coach has been wise, and he's told players and people that you don't make any decisions, or go public, with feelings in that few weeks after the Super Bowl loss."
Brady said last month in an interview with ABC's "Good Morning America" that family considerations will be a big part of when he decides to retire.
Kraft told The Athletic that he'd like to see Brady "play as long as he can."
"I don't think anyone would have believed 10 years ago that he would have played this year, gone to the Super Bowl and been MVP of the league at 40 years old," Kraft told the website. "It's just unbelievable. It speaks to the way he takes care of himself, the way he trains, how much film he watches, one of the hardest working guys. He is driven to excel. I think as long as he feels he is like that, he'll keep playing. We're so lucky to have him in our system."
ESPN's Mike Reiss contributed to this report.