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Saints unlikely to extend Drew Brees’ contract past 2016

By Tom West

Sep 20, 2015; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees (9) prepares to throw the ball against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the first quarter of a game at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 20, 2015; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees (9) prepares to throw the ball against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the first quarter of a game at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports /
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With a shaky 0-2 start to their season, the future of the New Orleans Saints looks worrying as well, as it’s now been reported that they may not sign Drew Brees past 2016.

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For a team team who emerged as the ultimate fairytale franchise after being crowned Super Bowl XLIV despite immense adversity in the immediate years following Hurricane Katrina, the New Orleans Saints aren’t new to dealing with tough times. However, after a shoulder injury to quarterback Drew Brees and a report that the Saints are unlikely to sign him past 2016, their future looks worrying to say the least.

Bleacher Report NFL Insider Jason Cole has now reported that the injury Drew Brees has sustained to his right rotator cuff could be a major contributing factor in deciding whether or not the Saints intend to extend his time with a long-term contract.

"“On Monday evening, a source I talked to basically confirmed what the New Orleans Saints and multiple reported have already indicated; that is that quarterback Drew Brees has a strained rotator cuff in his right throwing shoulder…However, the overarching issue to all of this is this is a further indication to the Saints of how careful they need to be going forward with Brees. His contract runs through the 2016 season when he’ll be 37 years old.There’s already been indications that his arm has deteriorated over the past two years and that he cannot throw the long ball the way he used to, and that will likely mean that the Saints will not re-sign him to a long-term deal by next year.”"

Obviously this is nothing that is set in stone, yet with the thought in mind that the Saints are unlikely to re-sign Brees past 2016, question marks surrounding the team’s future escalate in an instant.

He’s been the face of the franchise since he came to New Orleans in 2006 and led the NFL with 4,418 passing yards. Since then, he’s remarkably thrown for 5,000+ yards in four seasons (no one else in history has ever even achieved that mark more than once), appeared in every Pro Bowl since 2008 and, of course, won a Super Bowl in 2009-10 season.

So, what with Jimmy Graham’s departure and now the issue of going forward with no Brees for at least several games, the Saints’ 2015-16 campaign is off to a seriously troubling start. On top of that, their 0-2 record looks nearly impossible for backup quarterback Luke McCown to recover from.

When looking ahead to next year, Brees is expecting $19,750,000 for 2016-17 which is when his contract ends. Although, following that season, after dealing with shoulder surgery all the way back in 2006 and now facing shoulder issues again, his longevity with the Saints is highly uncertain as he gradually approaches his 40th birthday.

On top of the fact that the Saints are an uncharacteristic 9th place in offensive yards per game after their 0-2 start, have a struggling offensive line, and have allowed a generous 380 yards per game this so far this season, the team has more to worry about than Brees’ short-term departure on the sidelines.

If he isn’t re-signed past 2016, the Saints will have a huge void to fill as they may need to rebuild their entire offense in order to move towards contention without their MVP.

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