NFL Notebook: Giardi - The Patriots' plan continues to take shape

If there is anything we've learned about Eliot Wolf in the months that he's had the final say, it is that the man believes in taking care of his own. The latest to benefit from that is David Andrews.

The center is inking a one-year extension that takes him through the 2025-2026 season. It's worth $8 million guaranteed, $12 million in base salary over the duration of the deal, and can max out at $13 million. Considering how well Andrews played last year - he was their best offensive player (all due respect, Trent Brown...ahem).

There had been some discussion about Andrews's future this offseason. He was emotional at season's end and said he would have to think about his next step. But when we heard from the captain last week, he took us through his thought process to move from uncertainty to all-in.

"I took some time, got away, and spent some time with my family, much needed," Andrews said. "That desire was still down in there to want to get up, go train, and do all the things I need to do and take care of myself. That was still there. And then obviously with the changes and everything. Getting to talk to Mayo, sit down with him and talk to him, I was very excited to be a part of something new, a change. And hopefully trying to figure it out and start something new and start something good and being a part of that process."

Andrews has been a regular in Foxborough and has already impressed his new quarterback (no, not that one).

"When I was here, he was a second-year player, and now he's like, a staple in the Patriot way," said Jacoby Brissett on the same day the extension for Andrews happened. "I think he's somebody that when I think about the culture, I think he is that. Somebody that's a worker. A guy that's fought through his career to get where he is now. 

"I think a lot of players on our team look up to him, not just guys on the line. Shoot, Drake (Maye) can look up to him as someone who has built a career in one place behind a lot of hard work and trials and tribulations in his career. I'm glad he's here, and he's our center. I understand and know what he brings to our team."

With the Pats potentially breaking in a rookie left tackle and left guard (and that Maye kid at some point), making sure Andrews remains the rock in the middle is just good business by Wolf.

BRADY BALKS

Can someone stage an intervention with Tom Brady? Please?

After billing his Netflix roast as the "Greatest Roast of All-Time," the former Patriot great — whose production company put the whole thing on — declared that he wouldn't do it again because - get this - he didn't know how much his kids would be impacted by it.

Are you kidding me?

If his children and Robert Kraft's massage parlor were the only things off-limit, did Brady think his exes, Gisele and Bridget Moynahan, would be psyched to catch strays all night, especially Bundchen (who reportedly is quite displeased)?

"I liked when the jokes were about me," Brady told the Pivot Podcast. "I thought they were so fun. I didn't like the way they affected my kids. It's the hardest part about … like the bittersweet aspect of when you do something that you think is one way and then all of a sudden you realize I wouldn't do that again because of the way that it affected actually the people that I care about the most in the world.

Brady called himself naive. That's one way to put it. I'd use self-absorbed and stupid (sorry, not sorry) as others. It shouldn't have been hard for him to see past the dollar signs (unconfirmed reports say he earned up to $20 million) and realize third-rail topics would be broached, including Gisele's quick turnaround with a new boyfriend. Then again, this guy thought investing in FTX was a good idea, too. 

Look, we all make mistakes, and when public figures make them, they garner significantly more attention than your neighbor's bad investment or relationship woes. But if you want to continually put your life out there — and Brady's been forward-facing off the field for a handful of years — to not expect blowback on several fronts is foolish. You did it to yourself, Tom, and you did it for future gain - he's the executive producer of future roasts, assuming they can actually get anyone to agree to that now that the man himself regrets it. You have no one to blame but yourself.

By the way, the Pats are on Brady's network, Fox, six times. 

GREED IS GOOD (AT LEAST FOR THE LEAGUE)

Let me go old bastard on you for a second here.

Remember when you could find the NFL on the big networks (FOX, CBS, etc)? Those days are long gone and not to be seen again. This season, if you don't have a TV guide or one of those voice-activated remotes that helps you search for games, good look finding them. As of last count, the league will appear on 10 outlets in the 2024-25 season: the aforementioned FOX and CBS, plus NBC, ABC, ESPN, ESPN+, Peacock, YouTubeTV, Prime Video, and now Netflix, which signed a three-year deal to do the Christmas games.

The Netflix deal isn't surprising — nothing is with this league — but this is the first time the suits on Park Avenue have taken a small but mighty (see the XMas ratings from last season) piece of their inventory and sold it to a group that isn't a current rights holder. According to several reports, Amazon made a late push to unseat Netflix but failed. There is no way the league's broadcast partners are psyched about this, but the NFL is king, and they have no problem exercising that power whenever and however they want. And we, as consumers, have no choice but to accept it unless, of course, we want to walk away from the sport. 

GOOD TO BE GOFF

Jared Goff raised the bar for quarterbacks with new deals coming somewhere down the line.

The 29-year-old's new five-year contract guarantees him $113.6 million at signing and, based on the language, has practical guarantees of $148 million. The first three years are locked and loaded, with payouts of $75 million this year, $18 million next year, and $55.5 million in the third year.

Is Goff worth it? He's not a transformative quarterback like Patrick Mahomes, who's currently not among the top 5 highest-paid signal callers in the league, but these mega-deals aren't just reserved for the best of the best at the position. No sirree. These quarterback contracts will continue to climb as the salary cap does, and why shouldn't they? The league makes money hand over fist, and the owners make ungodly sums of money, comparatively speaking. The players should get what they can when they can, especially when it can all end with one hit.

Next up? Jordan Love, Tua Tagolvailoa, Trevor Lawrence, and Dak Prescott. Prescott, in particular, carries nearly all the cards. If he wants to use them - which was his approach in the last negotiation - Prescott should easily push Dallas or a team in free agency to push his number past the $60+ million a year plateau. 

Gross, but in 10 years, they'll probably be a $100 million man. Get used to it.

LEFTOVERS

Finally, digesting the entire NFL schedule from Wednesday's release.

-Each of the three London games in 2024 features a team that selected a QB in the 1st round of the 2024 NFL Draft. J.J. McCarthy in week 5 (Minnesota vs. NYJ), Caleb Williams in week 6 (Chicago vs. Jacksonville), and Drake Maye in week 7 (also vs. Jacksonville). Odds that more than one of those signal callers actually starts? 

- The Vikings (and either Sam Darnold or McCarthy) open the season with three of their first four games against 2023 playoff teams. Kevin O'Connell's coaching acumen will be tested (I think he's got a chance to be a damn good one).

- The Jets will finish the season with three straight games vs. 2023 playoff teams (Rams, Bills, Dolphins). 

- The Dolphins finish the season with three of their final four games on the road. The final two are in the cold (at Cleveland and at NYJ). The Fins will need Tua to finally deliver (especially once they pay him). 

- The Bengals will play two games on Monday Night Football (Week 3, Week 14) and two on Thursday Night Football (Week 10, Week 16). I'll sign up for Joe Burrow in primetime as much as is allowable by law.

- Five teams (Bills, Browns, Vikings, Bears, and Lions) have three-game road trips. That's horse bleep. Do better, schedule-makers.

- Eight teams (Cardinals, Falcons, Rams, Browns, Chargers, Bears, Saints, and Vikings) have three-game homestands. That, too, is horse bleep. 

- And lastly, who will spend the most time doing the whole "Planes, Trains and Automobiles" thing ("Those aren't pillows!")? Hint: your favorite team will be chalking up a ton of Marriott points.

OH, ONE MORE THING

Some of you may have seen that yours truly will be joining The Rich Schertenlieb Show on WZLX 100.7 in Boston beginning next week (the show actually debuts on Monday). I am here to assure you that Greg and I are continuing our relationship here (right, Greg?) and that this is only a part-time post (6 AM to 10 AM) once or twice a week (Tuesdays and some Thursdays). That means my writing will continue here as it has - I'm loving it - and I remain committed to giving you my best, even if sometimes you think it's the worst.