New Orleans Saints star quarterback Drew Brees has given every indication that he will return for a 20th NFL season—and, in particular, staying with “Who Dat” nation.
What kind of contract Brees, 41, and the Saints plan on agreeing to is another question, though.
According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport on Thursday, it's entirely conceivable that Brees takes a haircut on his salary in order for the Saints to acquire another impactful player in free agency.
From NFL Now: #Saints QB Drew Brees made it clear he's not leaving New Orleans, and it sounds like he won't demand top dollar this time, either. The approach may help his team sign an additional free agent. pic.twitter.com/35TwJpZoMJ
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 12, 2020
Brees, a future Hall of Fame gunslinger and Super Bowl MVP with the Saints, signed a two-year, $50 million contract extension with the NFC South club prior to the 2018 NFL campaign. Rapoport, not reporting but prognosticating, believes a similar deal could be reached by both sides in the offseason, with Brees making around the same figure instead of something like over $30 million for a star quarterback.
Brees', in comparison, quiet free agency comes at the heels of the 24-hour news cycle of New England Patriots free agent quarterback Tom Brady's free agency. Brady, 42, has been courted by multiple teams around the league, although many don't believe he'll leave the Foxborough franchise with which he won six Super Bowl title.
Brees and Brady both surpassed longtime rival Peyton Manning's all-time career passing touchdowns mark during last season, with Brees slightly at the top. Coincidentally, both aging superstar signal-callers also fell very short of the Lombardi Trophy at the beginning of 2020, with the Patriots and Saints both losing in the first round of the NFL postseason.
Brees is widely expected to re-sign with the Saints this spring—it's just a matter for how much and how any years.
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