Fansided

5 teams that should acquire Drew Brees in 2017

By Brad Berreman

Dec 4, 2016; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees (9) before a game against the Detroit Lions at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 4, 2016; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees (9) before a game against the Detroit Lions at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports /
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Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports /

4. Kansas City Chiefs

The Chiefs finished strongly in 2015 and they are still 10-4 this season even after Sunday’s loss to the Tennessee Titans. So they clearly have a winning regular season formula, but Alex Smith is not the kind of quarterback who can lead a deep playoff run and that stands to hold the team back until further notice.

Smith signed a four-year, $68 million contract extension with the Chiefs back in 2014, but his base salary for 2017 is a palatable $10.8 million and the dead money attached to the deal goes down significantly in 2017 and 2018.

The Chiefs could trade for Brees, take on his $13 million base salary and $19 million cap hit for 2017, and keep Smith. Some teams will spend close to what Brees and Smith would cost together next year on one quarterback, while carrying a backup like Scott Tolzien. The Chiefs, on the other hand, would have an enviable situation with two starting-caliber quarterbacks.

If the choice has to come down to Smith or Brees for Kansas City, Smith himself could be traded to make room for an upgrade. There are moving parts and the possibility of bruised egos, but the Chiefs should have some interest in Brees if he’s available.

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