01:00 AM EST on Friday, March 25, 2005

BY TOM E. CURRAN
Journal Sports Writer

The structure of Tom Brady's $24-million signing bonus is holding up completion of the three-time Super Bowl champion's new six-year contract.

Brady, who has two seasons left on his contract, agreed with the Patriots on the parameters of a deal nearly a month ago. Although the six-year, $60-million deal would put Brady in the top tier of quarterbacks, it would still be less money than Peyton Manning and Mike Vick signed for in the last year. Even though he's won three titles and neither Manning nor Vick has been to a Super Bowl, Brady was fine with the Patriots' overall offer.

But late in negotiations, the Patriots explained that they wanted to pay Brady his $24-million signing bonus in four installments. More than half of the bonus money would come in the first two years of the deal, but unpaid bonus money in the later years of the contract would not be guaranteed. That would mean if Brady got hurt after a few years, portions of the $24-million bonus would never be realized.

Brady, who expected to have his deal done before he left on a trip to Europe earlier this month, balked at the unusual proposal.

In most deals, bonus money is guaranteed and paid in full when the deal is signed. In some deals -- like the one the Pats worked with Drew Bledsoe in 2001 --there are tiers within the deal that kick in bonuses. Those tiers are usually seen in longer-term contracts than Brady's six-year proposal. For there to be four tiers is almost unprecedented.

Brady spoke before this year's Super Bowl about making financial sacrifices for the team in order to keep it competitive. Two days after Brady said that, Patriots owner Robert Kraft noted that Brady could easily make a case to be the league's highest-paid player.

Despite knowing Kraft's assessment, Brady stuck to his pledge, anyway, and was prepared to accept less. But he wasn't prepared to accept less and yet still not have a fully guaranteed, up-front bonus.

Brady's deal doesn't expire until after the 2006 season. He's due to make $5 million and $7 million in salary the next two seasons. One interesting subplot to the negotiations is that unless the NFL's owners and the NFLPA agree to a new collective bargaining agreement, the 2007 season is an uncapped year. If -- and that's a big if -- there's an uncapped season and Brady is on the market, the contract he'd be in line to sign could be immense.

At this point, the negotiations aren't quite acrimonious. But Brady isn't blind to the fact he's willing to meet the Patriots halfway on salary but is not being met halfway on the bonus.

Squib kicks

Linebacker Tedy Bruschi has had surgery to repair the hole in his heart. It's not clear whether that condition was directly related to the stroke he suffered last month. Meanwhile, a decision on whether he'll play in 2005 or at all still may be months away. . . . The agent for defensive end Jarvis Green said yesterday he's heard from a few teams interested in the Patriots' restricted free agent, but the fact that those teams would need to sacrifice a first-round pick as possible compensation for Green has kept conversations from leading to visits. . . . Patriots vice president of player personnel Scott Pioli will be inducted into the Central Connecticut State University Hall of Fame on May 13. . . . The team also re-signed defensive lineman Ethan Kelley, a seventh-round pick in 2003 (243rd overall) who made his first career tackle in the final game of the 2004 season.