Drew Brees Contract: Latest News, Rumors, Speculation on Saints QB's Future

After another disappointing season for the New Orleans Saints, the future of quarterback Drew Brees is up in the air. 

Continue for updates.

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Loomis Comments on Brees' Contract

Thursday, Jan. 14 

"Brees will be our QB," Saints general manager Mickey Loomis told reporters. "We will figure how to handle his contract."

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Brees Speaks on Potential Extension

Monday, Jan. 4

Brees told reporters he would "absolutely" be amenable to a potential contract extension if the Saints approached him during the offseason.

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Brees Comments on Future in New Orleans

Tuesday, Dec. 29

Brees appeared on NFLHQ on Tuesday and responded when asked if he thought there was any chance he and head coach Sean Payton would not be in New Orleans next season, via Conor Orr of NFL.com: 

"

No, I don't. I think we -- a plan was put in place throughout last offseason as to how we were going to build a foundation by which to make a run at it in the future. That includes some new faces, that includes some young players that, I think, will all have a chance to come together and kind of build a team that can make a run at it in the future.

Unfortunately, we had high expectations going into this year and we fell a bit short. But I'm confident with the character, the leadership, the talent we have.

"

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Brees Reportedly Will Need to Take Pay Cut to Stay with Saints

Sunday, Dec. 27

According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, Brees—who will have a cap hit of $30 million next season—will have to "take a hometown discount to return." Rapoport added: "Internally with the Saints, there is still frustration that Drew Brees maximized his contract last time. They feel it caused depth issues."

Former sports agent Joel Corry noted, "Brees' contract forces Saints to make quick decision. $10.85M of $19.75M base salary is fully [guaranteed on February 10, 2016] (3rd day of waiver period)."

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Brees Continues to Perform at High Level Despite Saints' Struggles

Brees, 36, has thrown for 4,870 yards and 32 touchdowns with 11 interceptions this season. New Orleans struggled, however, finishing 7-9.

With the Saints failing to reach the postseason for the second year in a row, the futures of both Brees and Payton have come into question. 

Brees has continued to value the games left on the schedule, despite the fact that they are virtually meaningless for the team and he's had to battle through a torn plantar fascia. He said, per Joel A. Erickson of the Advocate:

"

Somebody asked last week, 'Why are these games important?' For exactly that reason—so that you can have the opportunity to build that rapport with guys that you're, hopefully, going to play with for a very long time. You just don't know what could happen in these next few games that could maybe be the turning point or the tipping point to something greater down the road.

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Brees, to his credit, has continued to be productive. But an offense that has lost key playmakers in recent years, coupled with injuries and a porous defense, has doomed the Saints.

If the team decides to move on from Brees, there is no doubt he'll have plenty of suitors on the market, even in his mid-30s.