A report emerged last night that Saints quarterback Drew Brees can’t take part in the 48-hour pre-free agency negotiating period because his contract voids on Wednesday. That report was incorrect.
Both the NFL and the NFLPA, via spokesman George Atallah, have told PFT that Brees, through his agent, can negotiate with other teams when the window opens on Monday.
There’s one way for that to be avoided. The Saints can sign Brees to a new contract before he has a chance to hear from other teams. Given that it’s taken this long, Brees should wait to see what a team like the Vikings or Broncos would put on the table.
If either team is thinking about offering top-of-market value to Kirk Cousins, they should at least consider a similar package for a more accomplished player like Brees, a first-ballot Hall of Famer who has missed only one game due to injury during only 12 seasons with the Saints.
If the Saints want to get a 13th season out of Brees, they may need to close the gap between whatever they’re willing to pay and whatever Brees can get elsewhere.