FOXBORO – If between them Eli Manning and Philip Rivers have exactly one Super Bowl win but recently signed six-year contracts that pay them $97.5 million and $92 million, respectively, what can three-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady expect to command when his contract is extended?

The possibilities boggle the mind.

But while Brady admitted on Tuesday that he has let his contract cross his mind, he says his focus is squarely on the 2009 season.

The 2007 NFL MVP and two-time Super Bowl MVP is signed through the 2010 season. His base salary this year is $5 million, but when bonuses are added in, his total salary cap figure is $14.63 million.

Manning, who earlier this month inked a pact that technically includes $34.5 million in guaranteed money, a figure that jumps to $47 million when a $12.5-million "option bonus" he'll receive next year is factored in, played well in the 2007 playoffs. Despite his ownership of the Super Bowl XLII MVP trophy however, even Giants fans believe the team overpaid for a quarterback with a 76.1 career passer rating.

On Monday, news of Rivers' deal broke. In three years as the Chargers' full-time starter, the team has made three playoff appearances, including advancing to the 2007 AFC title game. His deal guarantees him $38.5 million. Though his team has not yet gone to the Super Bowl, to this point Rivers seems the better quarterback.

Which brings us back to Brady. He and Peyton Manning (whose contract also expires after the 2010 season) are 1A and 1B in the argument over who is the better quarterback of this generation, and both are on the short list of greatest of all time at their position.

Brady is the consummate team leader, and there is no question that he is a winner. The money he could command, particularly if the Patriots win another Super Bowl with him at the helm this season, and especially given that this year's number one draft pick, Matthew Stafford, received $42 million guaranteed before playing a down in the NFL, would be astronomical.

But he took less than market value when last he renegotiated his contract, because he understands that it takes 53 players to win championships. It remains to be seen whether he would do that again.

At his weekly press conference on Tuesday, Brady expressed happiness for Eli Manning and Rivers for their contracts.

"I think it's great. It's great for those players," he said. "They've worked hard to deserve those. Any time a guy gets a contract, it's a pretty cool thing. I've had that experience a couple times. It really shows the health of the league."

(At this point one wonders if that last sentence is a subtle swipe at some owners' contention that the league is in financial trouble.)

"Those contract things always work themselves out one way or another. So I think the important thing this time of year is to focus on the most important priority, which is having a great season," Brady continued. "I'm committed to that and I know my teammates are committed to that. Hopefully, if we all go out and play well, we'll all be playing for a long time."

He was further asked if he would delay contract talks until after the season if New England approached him during the year.

"If someone wants to pay you more money? I mean, I think we're all probably underpaid, don't you think?" he said with a slight smile. "I mean, we all wish we were paid more, but that's not the reality. We're focused on this. I'm focused on this year. I've thought about it and I just want to go out and have a great year. Believe me, nothing is guaranteed; that's what I learned last year. You don't know if you'll be out here next week or the following week so I think the most important thing is to focus on this week and the more prepared you are for this week, the less chance you'll have to play poorly or to have an injury. If we have goals to have a great season, we're going to need to be on the field playing and getting better."

To that end, Brady affirmed that he expects to play "quite a bit" on Friday against the Redskins, as traditionally starters see the most time during the third preseason game and then don't play in the fourth.

smanza@projo.com