Drew Brees and Biggest Contract Snubs in Recent NFL History

Over a large majority of cases in the NFL, players are either currently paid what they are worth or will eventually see the money they deserve come their way. There are some players and contracts that slip through the cracks, however. 

The case of Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints is bringing those slips to the forefront of the NFL consciousness, as the franchise quarterback remains without a long-term deal. He doesn't appear close to getting one, either.

While there have been contact snubs throughout the history of the sport, the majority of high-profile cases have been popping up in the recent past. Including Brees' struggles with New Orleans, we breakdown some of the biggest contract snubs seen in the NFL recently:

Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints

Once nothing more than an afterthought, Brees' contract haggling with the New Orleans Saints has taken a somewhat worrisome turn in recent days. While many have expected the two sides to get a deal done before the July 16th deadline for franchised players, Brees uncharacteristically went public with his frustrations over the lack of a new contract this week. 

"It's been extremely frustrating for me," Brees told WWL Radio in New Orleans, according to an ESPN report. "I don't think the negotiations should have been this difficult."

If the Saints and Brees can't come to a long-term agreement before the deadline, Brees will be forced to play under a one-year tender.

But with Brees being just 33 years old and coming off one of the greatest passing seasons in NFL history in 2011—a year in which Brees broke Dan Marino's long-standing record for passing yards—the Saints haven't showed much urgency in getting their quarterback locked up long term. 

"There should be a sense of urgency and it just seems like there's not," Brees told WWL. 

Given the hostile environment in New Orleans after the historic fallout from the team's bounty scandal, getting Brees signed would seem like priority No. 1 for the Saints' front office. But the longer this drags out, the worse it's going to get for both sides. 

Situations like this can always change in a hurry, but Brees' sudden desire to speak out on the issue publicly shows how strained the contract talks between the two sides really are. 

Javon Walker, Green Bay Packers

Exhibit A on why any player might want to hold out is Javon Walker, who broke out during the 2004 season as a Pro Bowl player but entered 2005 on the final year of his rookie contract. Backed by super-agent Drew Rosenhaus, Walker declared that he wouldn't play for the Green Bay Packers in 2005 unless his contract was renegotiated. 

After Walker skipped Packers minicamp during the summer of 2005, quarterback Brett Favre stuck his nose into the discussion.

"

If Javon wants to know what the quarterback thinks, and I would think he might, I'd tell him he's going about this the wrong way. When his agent tells him not to worry about what his teammates think and all that stuff, I'd tell him I've been around a long time and that stuff will come back to haunt you.

"

The comments from Favre put Walker at odds, and he eventually showed up in Green Bay for both training camp and the 2005 season. Just one game into that season, however, Walker tore his ACL—ending both his year and time playing with the Packers.

The next season, Green Bay traded Walker to the Denver Broncos for a second-round pick. While Walker would go on to sign two mega-deals—a five-year deal worth $40 million with Denver, and a six-year, $55 million deal with the Oakland Raiders—his career never took off like it looked destined to while in Green Bay. 

Darrelle Revis, New York Jets

Revis' contract holdout may represent the most well-known contract snub we've seen in recent memory.

Just three short years into his rookie contract signed in 2007, Revis was widely considered the game's premier shutdown cornerback. But the contract Revis agreed to as a first-round pick in '07 was scheduled to pay Revis a little more than $1 million in 2010, which was far below what he was worth as one of the NFL's best cornerbacks. 

Instead of risking his long-term well-being like Walker and playing in 2010 under a one-year deal, Revis held out through the summer—missing all of training camp and each of the Jets' four preseason games. 

The strategy worked, sort of. Revis agreed to a four-year, $46 million deal ($32 million guaranteed) just over a week before the Jets' first game of the 2010 season. However, Revis would go on to pull a hamstring in Week 2 against the New England Patriots, which some attributed to Revis missing all of the Jets' offseason work. 

The contract didn't hold up over time, either. As we head into the dog days of the 2012 offseason, whispers surrounding Revis potentially holding out again have surfaced because the All-Pro cornerback is again unhappy with his deal. 

Matt Forte, Chicago Bears

As it currently stands, Forte represents the running back version of Brees' struggles in New Orleans. The Bears slapped the $7.7 million franchise tag on Forte this offseason, but talks regarding any kind of long-term deal seem far off. 

While Forte has been one of the NFL's most productive running backs over the last three to four years, the Bears don't seem in any kind of rush to bow down to Forte's contact demands. 

To make matters worse, the Bears went out this offseason and signed Michael Bush, who gives the team a capable starter if Forte plans on holding out. The move also gave the Bears security in case Forte plays in 2012 on the one-year tender and then decides to bolt Chicago for a better deal elsewhere. 

Veteran Bears beat writer Brad Biggs doesn't believe Forte will miss any regular-season games because of the contract snub, citing the 7.7 million reasons why Forte would play in 2012 regardless of the long-term talks. But considering how good Forte has been for Chicago (over 6,000 yards of total offense in four years), the Bears' lack of interest in giving Forte a long-term deal has to place him on this list.