The white whale of free agency is more like the Loch Ness Monster.
Technically in play for a move to a new team, Saints quarterback Drew Brees likely won’t be. The talk in league circles is that both Brees and his wife are strongly resisted the possibility of leaving New Orleans.
Separately (or maybe consequently), Saints G.M. Mickey Loomis is believed to be holding firm with the team’s current offer.
It’s unclear what the Saints have on the table, but it’s believed to be well south of the $30 million threshold that every agent wants to be the first one to surpass. At a time when Mike McCartney could be the first one to get to that number with Kirk Cousins, Tom Condon wants to get their first with Brees.
So what hasn’t a deal been done? Brees is willing to use his necessarily limited leverage (given that he’s resisting the possibility of leaving) to get the best deal he can, both for himself and for Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan, another Condon/CAA client who is next in line to try to get to $30 million per year or beyond.
There’s still a little leverage that helps Brees get a better deal in the next day. As of Wednesday at 4:00 p.m. ET, his current contract technically voids, creating an $18 million cap charge for 2018. If the deal can be extended before then, that $18 million will be spread equally over the next three years.