But we do know that Brees’ new deal essentially is a one-year extension – although it is being presented as a five year deal – and binds him to the Saints through the 2017 season.
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According to sources, the New Orleans Saints reached an agreement with Drew Brees and signed the quarterback to a new contract on Wednesday.
This development comes a day after reports stated that Brees and the Saints organization had resumed talks about a contract extension that looks to keep the future Hall of Famer with the team beyond the 2016 season.
In reality, Brees gets $20 million this year and $24.25 million for next season, with the total of $44.25 million fully guaranteed.
However, there are always those who benefit and those who don’t from a deal like this. New Orleans had just one postseason berth in the 13 years prior. Brees missed one game last season because of a shoulder injury, a game the Saints lost to the Panthers on September 27. The Saints have a top-10 offense but ranked last in the National Football League in points per game, first downs per game and yards per play allowed. And the Drew Brees extension isn’t the exception to that rule.
“I plan to play for longer than 2 years, so yeah”, Brees said. The 37-year-old has posted fantastic numbers throughout his career, including to 40+ touchdown seasons in 2011 and 2012.
Without new blood on the interior, the Saints were expected to start 2015 top pick Andrus Peat on the left side and the victor of a training-camp battle between incumbents Tim Lelito and Senio Kelemete on the right side.
But Brees was hoping for a longer-term deal. Brees now counts $30 million against the cap, which is almost 20 percent of the available space.
From a financial standpoint, it makes a lot of sense to move on from Brees, but we can’t just ignore the emotional implications of such a decision.
Then on Wednesday, the Saints agreed to bring back veteran right guard Jahri Evans, who had been released by the Saints last winter and signed with Seattle, but did not make the Seahawks’ final cut.
Brees owns Saints franchise records in virtually every passing category, having thrown for 48,555 yards and 348 touchdowns in 10 seasons with the club.
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Other than Brees, right tackle Zach Strief, punter Thomas Morstead and safety Roman Harper (reacquired in free agency), the current Saints bear little resemblance to the 2009 team Payton coached to a Super Bowl title.
