New Orleans Saints: Conditions for Drew Brees’ new contract

It’s near guaranteed that the New Orleans Saints will lock Drew Brees up with a new contract. The team needs to work with their head, not their heart.

In less than a month, the New Orleans Saints have to sign Drew Brees. If not, then the quarterback will hit the open market in 2018 free agency. Brees is easily one of the hottest commodities, but it’s unlikely the Saints will let him go. If they do plan on keeping him, there are two conditions they should include in his new contract.

To say Drew Brees is one of the best quarterbacks in the game is an understatement. Even at age 39, he played one of the best seasons of his career. In addition, he helped take them to the playoffs and was some of the reason why they were so successful. His ability to adapt, especially with a relatively young roster, was incredible.

A lot of teams would kill for a quarterback like Brees — which is probably the reason why it’s unlikely the Saints will get rid of him. The first condition the team should include in the contract is a deal that includes keeping him for two more years.

Signing him for a year makes no sense. Yes, it will save the team money, but won’t gives them any security beyond that. His current contract doesn’t allow them to franchise tag him or trade him, so a one-year deal is unlikely.

Conversely, signing him for two years will give the team and Brees some security. For the team, they have a chance to draft a young quarterback who can learn from Brees. As for Brees, it gives him a chance to play, most likely until he’s ready to retire. Signing a two-year contract is a win-win for both the Saints and Drew Brees.

While two years should be definite in a new deal, but there’s another condition the Saints should agree on and it’s how much they’re paying him. The Saints shouldn’t use a lot of cap space on Brees and his contract. Basically, they need to try to cut a deal with him that gives them some leeway.

Yes, Brees is one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL, but he’s also one of the oldest. It’s unlikely he’ll play more than two years and the Saints need to plan accordingly. No longer are the days of him getting big contracts.

It’s time they both realize this. It’ll be a lot harder for Brees to realize this but it’s going to make everything easier. Many have mentioned Brees not giving them a “hometown discount”, but something has to budge.

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At the end of free agency, those two conditions should be relatively easy. The Saints will have a solid quarterback for two more years and save some money. As for Brees, he’ll hopefully be able to retire as a Saint and still make a lot of money. March will be here sooner than we think so hopefully, Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints can agree on those two conditions.