With the Saints rocketing toward a playoff berth and quarterback Drew Brees closing in on the single-season passing yardage record, Brees has generated all the leverage he needs to justify a new big-dollar deal.
And so he has pulled the plug on contract talks.
“You know, I didn’t want it to become a distraction,” Brees said Thursday, per Mike Triplett of the New Orleans Times-Picayune. “And from the discussions we had, going back and forth, there was no progress really being made. I really wanted to just focus on football.”
The two sides remained very far apart throughout the preseason and regular season, with fundamental differences regarding Brees’ value.
The Saints undoubtedly will apply the one-year franchise tag to Brees. The question becomes whether Brees would stay away from his team during offseason workouts, training camp, and the preseason while waiting for a suitable multi-year offer. Since he will not be under contract, he will not be violating his contract by staying away.
Conversely, he could choose to attend meetings without participating in practices until the contract is finalized. Other franchise players, like Colts defensive end Dwight Freeney, have adopted that approach.
Brees also could become exasperated with the Saints, and he could begin speaking out about the team’s failure to compensate him fairly. Ultimately, Brees could ask to be traded.
It likely won’t get to that point. Then again, no one expected it to get to this point.
