The New England Patriots saw the return of reigning league MVP Tom Brady earlier this week at the start of mandatory OTAs after he was notably absent from all team workouts previously. This led in speculation in terms of why he was away from the organization the past several weeks.

In his first media availability since returning to the team, Brady made it clear that it had nothing to do with his contract, as he stated that is a personal matter that he doesn't feel he needs to publicly address, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. He refused to talk about his deal.

“I’ve never talked about my contract,” Brady said. “I’ve never brought up money, I think for a lot of reasons that I’ve said over the years. Those things are very personal.”

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Brady currently has two years left on his contract that runs through the 2019 season, which has brought forth questions of how much longer he plans to play. He reiterated that he will play well into his 40s, so now that are questions about a possible new extension to accommodate those aspirations.

The dialogue has been spiced up by a perceived uneasiness behind the scenes between both sides that may have contributed to him being absent for voluntary team workouts. It is something that Brady has yet to address publicly.

Nonetheless, his contract situation may just be addressed when it truly needs to be. It could all hinge on him continuing to show that he can play at an elite level in order for New England to commit to him beyond the next two seasons. There are still many wrinkles to be worked out.