Drew Brees And Saints Are ‘Relatively Close’ To Agreeing On Contract Extension

The New Orleans Saints and quarterback Drew Brees are said to be “relatively close” to negotiating a contract extension. This development comes a day after reports stated that Brees and the Saints organization had resumed talks about a contract extension that will keep the future Hall of Famer with the team beyond the 2016 season.

If such an agreement were to be reached this week, then it would have to come before a self-imposed deadline that Brees had placed on contract talks. The 15-year pro has said that he would not negotiate any contract extensions with the Saints beyond the start of the regular season.

Both sides are said to have made some “significant progress” on a contract extension and are hoping that a deal could be reached by Sunday. Another report states that a deal could be reached as early as Wednesday when Brees and the Saints are scheduled to have a meeting with one another.

Saints and Drew Brees have started chatting again about his contract in the last week. Expect a final push over the next few days before Sun

— Jason La Canfora (@JasonLaCanfora) September 5, 2016

Brees is currently in the final year of a five-year, $100 million contract that at the time made him the highest-paid player in the history of the NFL. The extension that he signed in 2012 had $60 million guaranteed money. His $20 million per year salary has since been surpassed by other players including Joe Flacco of the Baltimore Ravens and Andrew Luck of the Indianapolis Colts. He could once again have the distinction of being the league’s highest-paid player if he is able to get another $100 million deal over the next four seasons which, according to CBS Sports, is the asking price.

One of the most significant sticking points in the veteran quarterback’s contract will be the guaranteed money, and most of that has to do with his age. Brees, 37, is entering the twilight of what has been an amazing career. However, he is still among the league’s best and most consistent quarterbacks despite his age. He once again led the league in passing for the fourth time in five seasons when he totaled 4,870 yards while playing in only 15 games last year.

While Brees continues to be amazing, the Saints have unfortunately been experiencing some woes after posting back-to-back 7-9 seasons. Brees has said multiple times that he wants to end his career with the team that he won a Super Bowl with and posted some of the most impressive passing numbers in league history.

Whether the Saints will decide to retain their superstar quarterback for the next few years is still up in the air, but his consistency over the years might prove to be a solid enough reason for the organization to extend his contract.

The price tag for quarterbacks of Brees’ caliber will not be going down anytime soon, so he has nothing to worry about in that regard. However, the situation doesn’t seem as simple as most of us think because the Saints are potentially going to take a huge risk on a superstar who is nearing 40-years-old. Att the same time, he is still playing like the elite quarterback that he has been throughout his entire career and even has the numbers to prove it. To be more precise, he has been averaging over 5,000 yards and 39 touchdowns per season since 2011, and his career totals of 60,903 yards and 428 touchdown passes.

To be more precise, he has been averaging over 5,000 yards and 39 touchdowns per season since 2011, and his career totals of 60,903 yards and 428 touchdown passes rank him first among all active players.

If an agreement is reached and Brees is able to get an extension done with New Orleans, then his goal of retiring as a Saint may come to fruition. It is the team where he was able to solidify himself as one of the greatest quarterbacks the game has ever seen and there are certainly many Saints fans out there who would want nothing more than to see their beloved franchise player retire in black and gold.

[Featured Image by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images]