Drew Brees Reportedly Agrees to New Contract with Saints

New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees had one year remaining on his contract heading into the season, but he reportedly agreed to a new deal that will keep him in New Orleans for the foreseeable future. 

Continue for updates.

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Saints, Brees Reportedly Agree to Contract 

Wednesday, Sept. 7

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported that the Saints and Brees have agreed in principle to a one-year contract extension, giving him $44.25 million guaranteed over the next two seasons. Rapoport reported that Brees will earn more than the $20 million he was set to earn this season.

Ed Werder of ESPN confirmed the contract details and reported that the extension will officially be for five years, voiding to two years.

CBSSports.com's Jason La Canfora reported Monday that the "Saints and [Brees] started chatting again about his contract in the last week. Expect a final push over the next few days before [Sunday]." La Canfora added: "Brees has been seeking a [four-year] deal worth $100 [million] I'm told. He doesn't want to negotiate in-season. We'll see if something can get done."

In early August, Brees' agent asked for $85 million guaranteed in a new deal, according to Bleacher Report's Jason Cole, who added that the quarterback believes he can play for another five seasons.

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Saints Not Looking to Commit to Brees Long Term?

Thursday, Aug. 11

Bleacher Report's Jason Cole reported that although Brees wants a long-term extension, the Saints are not interested in committing to him for three or four more seasons:  

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Brees Comments on Contract Talks

Thursday, July 28

"My approach is that when the season is here, it's all about the season, and I don't want to be worrying about a contract or anything else," Brees said Thursday, per Josh Katzenstein of NOLA.com. "My mind will be on the preparation, week to week, on the next opponent. If there's (a deal) to be done, it's between now and the season."

"Not sure why things have not progressed," Brees said July 23, per ESPN.com's Mike Triplett. "They made an offer in March, we made an offer shortly thereafter. And besides the Josh Norman deal, there has been no talk about a contract since."

In regard to the Norman deal, the Saints approached Brees about restructuring his contract to try to fit the star cornerback under their salary cap.

On June 22, Brees spoke to Alysha Tsuji of USA Today and said he sees himself in New Orleans "for the rest of my career."

"I feel like I've got quite a few good years left," Brees said. "I got one year left on the contract, but whether you have a one-year contract or a five-year contract, you've still got to prove it every year...even if you're locked into a long-term deal, they can get rid of you at any time, so that's my mindset."

"I'm very confident that it will [get done]," Brees said on SiriusXM NFL Radio on April 26. "I've got one year left, so it's not the end of the world if it doesn't, and we play through the year. I did that back in 2011. I'd rather not do that."

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Loomis Comments on Brees Negotiations

Wednesday, July 27

"We haven't made any progress," general manager Mickey Loomis told reporters. "I would hope we have a deal done," Loomis continued, noting, "My phone is on the hook."

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Payton Comments on Brees Contract Talks

Wednesday, July 27

"The [Brees] contract is an element that will take care of itself," Saints head coach Sean Payton said, per John DeShazier of the team's official website. "That can't be what preoccupies our mindset."

"The one thing that's served us well in 10 years is the line of communication," Payton said during an appearance on The Rich Eisen Show on July 11, via Joel A. Erickson of the New Orleans Advocate (h/t the Sun Herald). He continued:

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There's a level of trust, and I would include [Brees' agent] Tom Condon and Mickey Loomis in that, because Drew and I will never have a discussion about the contract or anything like that. We would never have that discussion. But that circle of trust between his group and our team is strong, and it's served us well.

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Guaranteed Money Presents Potential Hurdle to Extension

Sunday, June 5

Florio broke down how much guaranteed money Brees could receive based on Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports' report that Brees' new deal in New Orleans could be worth between $95 million and $100 million over four years.

Florio noted that if Brees' performance declines after signing, the Saints could be stuck with the quarterback through 2018 if "$65 million or more is fully guaranteed."

Florio's report also noted the danger of potentially franchise-tagging Brees given his past:

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As PFT has mentioned a time or two over the past few months, the fact that Brees was tagged once in San Diego and once before by the Saints means that, if the Saints use the franchise tag on him in 2017, the tender amount would be determined by multiplying his 2016 cap number by 44 percent.

That's $43.2 million. For one year.

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On May 26, Joel Corry of CBS Sports reported that Brees' franchise tag would be $43.09 million in 2017. Andrew Brandt of ESPN believes that means Brees will either negotiate a new contract or hit free agency.

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Brees' Age May Have Impacted Terms of New Deal

Brees is 37 years old, but a longer deal may not be that risky since he just led the league with 4,870 passing yards in 2015. It was yet another productive season in a career loaded with impressive showings:

Season	Games	Completion Percentage	Passing Yards	Passing Touchdowns	Interceptions	Passer Rating
2006	16	64.3	4,418	26	11	96.2
2007	16	67.5	4,423	28	18	89.4
2008	16	65	5,069	34	17	96.2
2009	15	70.6	4,388	34	11	109.6
2010	16	68.1	4,620	33	22	90.9
2011	16	71.2	5,476	46	14	110.6
2012	16	63	5,177	43	19	96.3
2013	16	68.6	5,162	39	12	104.7
2014	16	69.2	4,952	33	17	97
2015	15	68.3	4,870	32	11	101

Brees is a nine-time Pro Bowler and directed the offense to 403.8 yards per game in 2015, which was the league's second-best total. New Orleans missed the postseason at 7-9, but it is hard to blame him since the defense was last in the league in points allowed per game (29.8).

Brees' appearance on SiriusXM NFL Radio came after Werder reported the signal-caller was "willing to modify" his deal to help the Saints sign cornerback Josh Norman and improve that struggling defense. It ultimately didn't work, as Norman signed with Washington.

Florio said New Orleans' inability to add Norman "constituted the first shot in a PR battle between Brees and the Saints over the inability to reduce his cap charge due presumably to his contract demands."

He also said that battle would continue if the Saints use an early draft pick on a position they don't need in 2016 but might end up needing the next season—such as quarterback.

In a separate piece, Florio concluded "Brees or his agent" was Werder's source because the quarterback doesn't want to face backlash from fans if his team cannot add pricey free agents like Norman because of his cap number.

Florio also said the two sides hadn't reached a new contract agreement at the time because Brees wanted to use his salary in 2016 and the expensive franchise tender that may come in 2017 as leverage to land a long-term deal "that blows the lid off the quarterback market" (although he said Andrew Luck's deal would likely surpass his).

There is plenty at stake here from a financial standpoint for both the team and Brees, but Saints fans can at least take solace in the fact their quarterback has reached a deal that will keep him in New Orleans for the short term.