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FOXBORO - Everybody seems to be worried over Vince Wilfork's contract. But for some, that's not enough.

Maybe it's time to start worrying about Tom Brady's contract, as well.

That was the tack some reporters took when the Patriots' quarterback appeared before the media on Tuesday. Whether it's the buzz about town over Wilfork's stalled negotiations, or the recent signing of Giants' QB Eli Manning to a record-setting six-year, $97.5 million contract extension, the thought that Brady might not be locked up for the rest of his life before his current pact expires at the end of the 2010 season is apparently a matter of concern in the making.

So it was that Brady was asked Tuesday if, should someone in the front office come to him and offer contract talks now, he would reject the offer and just stay focused upon the upcoming season.

"If someone wants to pay you more money? I mean, I think we're all probably underpaid, don't you think? I mean, we all wish we were paid more, but that's not the reality," he said. Fortunately, Brady explained quickly enough that his contract is not a matter on his personal front burner just yet.

"I'm focused on this year," he said. "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," he said.

That's exactly what he's been doing, he noted earlier in the press conference. Brady still has the gold star for perfect attendance at practice as the Patriots begin their preparation for Friday night's nationally-televised preseason game at FedEx Field against the Washington Redskins (8 p.m.; Ch. 4, 12).

"I've been fortunate enough to participate in all of our practices, all of our walkthroughs, all the meetings, all the games thus far," he said. "Last year, it wasn't like that. I think I've made some improvements over the course of the camps, not only this camp, but the previous camps.

"I said yesterday I don't think we're at midseason form yet," he continued. "I'd love to be perfect out there right now. It hasn't been that way. I missed a few throws in this last game and made a few mental errors. Hopefully, we try to make some of those improvements and understand that it's different when you're out there practicing against your own team day after day, after day.

Of course, Brady enters this season with the monkey on his back from having missed the entire 2008 season because of torn ligaments in his left knee suffered in the season-opening game against Kansas City. He knows every move he makes is being analyzed and re-analyzed in the media, but his analysis is considerably different from the first-person standpoint.

"I've been dealing with this for a long time, almost for the last year," he said. "I know where I'm at. I know how I feel, how comfortable I am back there and I try to convey that I feel like that was part of last season.

"I've already missed a year," he said. "I've already paid the price for it. Moving forward, you've just got to try to work as hard as you can to get back to your normal self and I really feel like I am. Hopefully, I can contribute in the way I have in the past."

Brady said he doesn't lose sleep over what happened last year or the long, hard road it took to get him back on the football field. "I just get up and try to go out there and make the right plays, make the right decisions," he said. "I think if I make a poor play, I never have thought, 'Well, I wonder if it was because of my injury last year.' I think, 'Well, I've got to make improvements.' Just like every year where things don't really go your way."

It's not surprising, therefore, that a matter that won't be critical for another year isn't high on his priority list right now. He's happy for Manning and Philip Rivers and other quarterbacks who've gotten monster contracts, and figures that things will work out here when they're supposed to.

"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.

"Those contract things always work themselves out one way or another," he added. "So I think the important part this time of year is to focus on the most important priority, which is having a great season. 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."

MARK FARINELLA may be reached at 508-236-0315 or via e-mail at mfarinel@thesunchronicle.com. Read Farinella's blog, "Blogging Fearlessly," at thesunchronicle.com/farinella.