BOSTON (WHDH) - A Boston Herald report that said New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady would sit out from all off-season activities unless the team upped his salary has been pulled from the newspaper’s website due to sourcing questions.
Sportswriter Ron Borges reported Thursday that Brady would not take part in team activities in late April and early May because he wanted a raise similar to what the San Francisco 49ers gave Jimmy Garoppolo on Thursday.
“The dominoes are about to continue their Foxboro free fall. Tom Brady wants to get paid,” Borges wrote.
Borges, citing sources close to Brady in his report, said the 40-year-old league MVP was looking for a contract extension loaded with up-front money.
Garoppolo signed a five-year deal worth $137.5 million to remain the quarterback in San Francisco. Many reports said that $74 million of that is guaranteed.
Questions regarding Borges’ source came about when WEEI’s Kirk and Callahan’s Twitter account posted a text conversation that he had with a person pretending to be Don Yee, Brady’s agent.
The WEEI radio hosts claim “Nick from Boston” tricked Borges into writing fake news.
Other Patriots reporters also refuted Borges’ story. Tom E. Curran said he was told that the report was “off the reservation.”
Borges’ column was printed in Friday’s Herald. It’s no longer available online. The newspaper posted the following statement Friday afternoon:
“A column by Ron Borges in today’s Herald regarding Patriot Tom Brady’s salary discussions was based on information which proved to be false. The Herald apologizes to Brady, his agent Don Yee and the Patriots, and to our readers for this erroneous report. Borges’ column has been suspended pending further review.”
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