The New Orleans Saints may not have drafted Drew Brees, but he is their franchise quarterback. With the 37-year-old passer heading into the final year of his contract, the status of negotiations for an extension is entirely unknown.
Brees signed a five-year deal worth $100 million ($40 million guaranteed), with a $37 million signing bonus. In the final year of the contract, Brees' cap number is a whopping $30 million.
Mickey Loomis, the Saints' general manager, declined to address Brees' contract Monday at LSU's Pro Day and only said the QB is "under contract." Brees' agent Tom Condon sparked rumors about his client and the Saints working out a deal to keep him in New Orleans when he said on "The Rich Eisen Show" last week that extension negotiations would take place "in the next couple of weeks."
Saints head coach Sean Payton does not seem worried he will lose the QB he has coached in New Orleans since 2006. He said the negotiations should be completed "very easily," though he gave no indication when they might take place.
Loomis indicated in February he wanted to sign Brees to an extension, but with a deal that is a bit more team friendly. The Saints have little wiggle room this offseason to keep up with their division rivals' spending, but restructuring Brees' contract could allow them more freedom next year and beyond.
Regardless, Brees is not likely losing much in terms of negotiation leverage. The Buccaneers, Panthers and Falcons all have franchise QBs under contract long term and the market for starting QBs is booming. Brock Osweiler, a passer with six starts under his belt, received a four-year deal worth $72 million from the Houston Texans.
The Baltimore Ravens extended Joe Flacco's contract three more years that will pay him more than $22 million a year. Flacco has a career passer rating of 84.7 in eight seasons, whereas Brees has a 95.8 passer rating in 15 seasons. For a more accurate comparison, Tom Brady has a 96.4 passer rating in 16 seasons and Peyton Manning had a 96.5 passer rating in 18 seasons.
Meanwhile, ESPN the Magazine investigated Brees' involvement as a spokesman for a sports drink and supplement company called AdvoCare. The investigation centered on whether the company is running a pyramid scheme. NFL QBs Andy Dalton, Philip Rivers and Alex Smith, as well as MLB pitcher Doug Fister, are also spokesmen for AdvoCare.
