Saints coach Sean Payton isn’t the only one who’s beside himself that he was banned from the NFL for the year.
The Saints’ biggest star, Drew Brees, took to Twitter after the punishment for the team’s bounty scandal was announced, and he couldn’t believe it.
“I am speechless,” Brees wrote. “Sean Payton is a great man, coach, and mentor. The best there is. I need to hear an explanation for this punishment.”
If Brees wants an explanation, he only needs to read the NFL’s announcement on bounty discipline, which details what Payton did -- and what Payton failed to do -- regarding the bounty scandal. Brees doesn’t have to agree with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell’s decision, but Goodell has already given an explanation.
The big question now is how this will affect Brees going forward. Brees is a free agent tagged with the exclusive franchise tender, which means he’s not under contract with the Saints but isn’t allowed to negotiate a contract with any other team, either. Brees was already reluctant to sign the exclusive tender offer, and he’s surely going to be even more reluctant now that his beloved head coach won’t be there.
If this makes Brees less willing to sign with the Saints, then the news is only getting worse in New Orleans.