Drew Brees: Saints Likely to Use Franchise Tag on Superstar QB

Drew Brees may be destined for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, but there's no reason for the New Orleans Saints to sign a 33-year-old quarterback to a long-term deal if they don't have to.

That appears to be what the Saints are thinking.

According to Jeff Duncan of the Times-Picayune, the Saints will likely use their franchise tag on Brees this offseason, who is set to be a free agent.

We've seen teams do this before. The New England Patriots did it with guard Logan Mankins before this season and the Philadelphia Eagles did it with enigmatic receiver DeSean Jackson. However, such a deal does have a way of creating tension, as it did for Mankins and the Patriots (a player signed to a franchise tag cannot pursue a long-term deal).

Nonetheless, Brees has never been one to complain. I don't see this affecting him too much. Obviously, he'd like a long-term deal, but he's always been a team player and he's developed an unmistakable chemistry in New Orleans over the years, with his receiving corps and with head coach Sean Payton.

This campaign, Brees set the NFL record for passing yards in a season, surpassing Dan Marino. He also threw 46 touchdowns to 14 interceptions and completed 71.2 percent of his passes in the regular season, another NFL record.

Brees, who already has a Super Bowl ring, led the Saints to the Divisional Round of the playoffs this season. They were ousted by the San Francisco 49ers, but Brees still passed for 462 yards and four touchdowns against arguably the best defense in the NFL. That was after he passed for 466 yards and three touchdowns against the Detroit Lions in the Wild Card Round.

In using the franchise tag on Brees, the Saints made the right decision, allowing them to eye how Brees holds up for another season in the NFL while locking him up for another run at the Super Bowl.