Drew Brees says the notion that the Saints are preparing for life without Drew Brees is ridiculous.
Then again, if they were, would they tell Drew Brees?
Brees fired back at this weekend’s report from the NFL’s very own network that the Saints were hoping to draft his eventual replacement this offseason, during an interview with Jay Mohr on FOX Sports Radio.
“Something like that — I know it has absolutely no validity to it,” Brees said, via the New Orleans Times-Picayune. “A lot of time you can look at who’s writing that stuff and you can say ‘All right this guy is trying to make a splash or trying to make a name for himself’ whatever it might be.
“In a lot of cases I’m not sure where they get their information, if they just completely make it up or if there are sources that are their cousins.”
Lot of sources say lots of things to lots of reporters for lots of reasons, but there’s no reason to think this was made up out of whole cloth.
Brees is turning 36 in January. His play has declined this year. He’s due to make $38.5 million over the last two years of his contract, and the Saints have looming salary cap problems.
Tell me again why they wouldn’t be thinking about his eventual replacement?
Thinking to the future is prudent, no matter what Brees thinks. And if he thinks his replacement is on the way, and is more amenable to restructuring a contract to help the team improve while he’s still the quarterback, then it could turn out to be a win-win situation.