Tom Brady is the most successful player in the NFL. So, why do 17 NFL quarterbacks earn a higher average salary than the six-time Super Bowl champion's $15 million per year?
The New England Patriots quarterback was asked the "money" question again Thursday night during an appearance on ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" And to his credit, he gave a relatively candid answer.
"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 after Kimmel asked why he isn't the highest-paid player in football.
"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."
Brady is right about his wife: Gisele retired from runway modeling four years ago but earned $10 million in 2018, according to Business Insider, which puts the power couple's net worth at $580 million.
The 41-year-old QB added he's happy to take a pay cut if it means more to spend on quality talent.
"Actually, it's a salary cap," Brady said. "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."
It's a notable answer considering Brady is entering the final year of his contract with a scheduled $27 million cap hit, the highest of his career. A restructure or extension could happen at some point before the season, but our Tom E. Curran reported in late March that no deal is imminent.
New England Patriots
Brady has valued the Patriots' success over maximum financial gains to this point, and his comments suggest he'll find a way to make things work this time around, too.
Click here to download the new MyTeams App by NBC Sports! Receive comprehensive coverage of your teams and stream the Celtics easily on your device.