Drew Brees extension with New Orleans Saints is coming
Winter is already here, but a Drew Brees extension with the New Orleans Saints is coming, according to head coach Sean Payton.
With everything going on at the NFL Scouting Combine, New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton still gave several interviews, including one with NFL Network’s Melissa Stark on quarterback Drew Brees, who already said he is willing to extend his contract, which will ultimately free up a good deal of cap space for 2016.
Payton, who is also expecting a new contract, said general manager Mickey Loomis finally spoke with Drew Brees’ agent, Tom Condon, about an extension with the Saints. Payton told Stark the deal ‘will get done very easily.’
“I go to bed thinking about improving our defense,” Payton told NFL Network. “I don’t mean to skirt, but I just know there will be an extension (for Drew Brees) and I know things will get worked out.
More from Saints News
- 3 takeaways from Saints unofficial depth chart ahead of preseason opener
- Saints 2022 Training Camp: Top 5 takeaways from Day 13
- 3 things to know about new Saints QB K.J. Costello
- Kirk Merritt could be a difficult player for the Saints to cut
- 3 players to keep an eye on in Saints vs Texans
“I know where he’s at, and his mindset and his competitive nature of wanting to be successful. And I know, without speaking for him, both of us feel like there’s still more success to be had.”
Currently, the Saints are set to pay Drew Brees $30 million in 2016 — the NFL’s biggest cap hit for any player this year. At 37-years-old, Brees continues to play at an elite level. Leading the league in passing for an NFL-record sixth time in 2015 proved that.
The Saints’ cap situation is not ideal, but they will be in better shape than they were a season ago when they were still able to make a couple of splashes in the free agent market. Unfortunately, guys like Brandon Browner, who is expected to get cut on March 9, and C.J. Spiller weren’t at all what the team was hoping for in the performance department when they signed them last offseason.
Extending Drew Brees could clear a large portion of cap space (I estimate anywhere from 8-$12 million), and restructuring contracts like Max Unger and/or Thomas Morstead could open up the door to some significant free agent signings. Wait for it, Saints fans. Brees will be in New Orleans at least another two or three years after 2016.