Duncan says Brees won’t sign franchise tender

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During the 2011 season, we heard that, if the Saints and quarterback Drew Brees failed to work out a contract and the Saints applied the franchise tag, Brees wouldn’t sign it.

Now that the tag has been applied, Brees reportedly won’t be signing it.

Jeff Duncan of the New Orleans Times-Picayune said during Thursday’s PFT Live that Brees won’t be signing the tender and won’t be present when the Saints assemble for offseason workouts next month.

And, as Duncan also pointed out, that will cut against the team-first image that Brees has crafted in New Orleans.  Still, for Brees to get the kind of contract that he wants, he’ll need to be willing to stay away from offseason workouts (and possibly more), even if it makes Brees look bad in the eyes of Saints fans.

Meanwhile, good luck having a meaningful offseason program without the starting quarterback in the building.

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92 responses to “Duncan says Brees won’t sign franchise tender

  1. I think most fans would agree that he is doing the right thing, and know that if the Saints offered him a contract worthy of his status as an elite qb, he would sign it.

  2. Good, I hope he never plays another down for the Saints and the franchise crumbles.

  3. I love Drew Brees, but this is ridiculous. He was offered an amazing contract. Not saying he should have just said yes to it, but to expect 5 million a year more than that for the first three years is insane. The Saints need him more than ever right now. While stand up guys like Eli and others are re-doing their deals so their teams can get better, he is hand cuffing us. I hope they can figure this thing out quickly, or we are in big trouble as a franchise.

  4. I disagree, I think it makes the organization look bad. You’ve already got this bounty thing that’s a massive black eye on the club, now you’re trying to screw your franchise QB (that’s one of the greatest out there, threw for a zillion yards and broke every record there is) out of top 3 money.

  5. Pay this guy already!!! You desperately need some good pub. Give him what he deserves. If not for Drew Brees you’d still be irrelevant. And you know this….

  6. Normally I think players are in the wrong for holding out, but in this case I actually can side with Brees. If I’m him, I force myself out of town or make them pay what he’s worth. The guy is one of the top 3 QBs in the league and arguably THE top.

  7. Good, I hope this blows up in their faces and Brees walks next year, contract or not.

    Saints FO is stupid.

  8. After what they said about him only being a good, and not a great, QB, they expect him to leap at the opportunity to sign the tender?

    Not only would I not sign it, I’d tell them to take a flying you-know-what at a rolling donut on the nearest Interstate. Guessing Brees is probably a bit more diplomatic than that.

    Talk about a bad time to be a Saint fan….this whole thing may be unwravelling before our very eyes.

  9. Saints are giving Oakland and Cleveland a run for the title of “worst run organization”.

    Seriously, how do you not make paying your franchise QB your top off-season priority?

  10. Good for him, as a Vikes fan I say get it while you can NFL careers don’t last forever. And Manning isn’t taking less money he’s restructuring existing money to lessen the hit this year!

  11. Hang in there, Drew, and stick it to that old tightwad billionaire Tom Benson.

    Your work unflushed the NFL’s toilet franchise and turned it into a winner, and Benson has the audacity to play chicken with you on your next contract.

    If I were you, I’d hold out until I got every penny I wanted.

  12. He was a major FACE of the players in the last labor negotiations so it was his responsibility to get the best deal for all the players. Then he finds out that his team is not in it for the players. Maybe he doesn’t want to be there? Maybe he’s the MOLE?

  13. Who dat team dat AIN’T gonna be playing the Superbowl on their home field? lol

  14. If Brees wants to play hard ball, I say F him. The Saints should go secretly meet with Manning, and get him on board. He is from there, his father played there, they have a great offense, they play in a dome, etc etc etc… Go get Manning, pull the Franchise tag from Brees, and send him packing

  15. With the bounty gate this franchise looks bad enough. Now you don’t want to pay the record breaking, elite face of the team…after everthing he has done for that city that supports team. After this I wouldn’t sign with them period!

  16. He hasn’t broke every record out there. Many teams have players restructuring contracts to keep important players. Saints are looking at huge fines for bounty issues. Does he think money grows on trees? He’s expecting bigger contract than Manning, Brady. He’s dreaming. He’s very good but not better than those 2 guys. Even Rodgers is actually better. Brees has picked a very bad time to make ridiculous demands. Come back to earth Drew! Threats to not attend OTA’s etc won’t help. You are making yourself look bad. Spoiled, stomp your feet attitude looks real bad and breaking records doesn’t mean you’re worth 23 mil. Ludicrous and greedy. THOUGHT you had more class. I was wrong.

  17. You’d look better in Red and Gold than you do in Black and Gold anyway Drew. Sorry Alex, you’re a great kid, but Drew is a great QB despite what his D-bag GM says

  18. He has every right to do what he’s doing since he is not under contract after March 13( so it isn’t really a “holdout” IMO) but I HATE when QBs do this. I have a different standard for a guy who is supposed to be THE team leader. In fact I can’t think of any other veteran QB who has done this recently. Maybe when some were rookies like Quinn or when Rivers did it. Ironically, Rivers’ failure to reach a contract agreement in time for TC as a rookie has been pointed to as a big reason he fell behind Brees in the battle for starter. Then Brees had a fantastic season and helped lead SD to the playoffs. Hmmmm……

  19. First of all, I’ve never known Duncan to have any real scoop when it comes to the Saints. He is a good sports writer and columnist, but I can’t remember the last time he had inside information.

    Secondly, the Saints are in a no-win situation.

    If they pay Brees what he’s asking, there will not be enough money to make the rest of the team good enough to win anything that matters. Brees cannot carry the team on his own – the 2007-2008 seasons are prime examples of that.

    Yet, if Brees won’t report or sign the tender, the Saints lose out on that end too.

    You people can all hate the Saints all you want, but the fans of the team and the city did nothing wrong and did not ask for this or deserve this. I am mad at the FO for the bounty thing and I am mad at Brees for making this more difficult than it needs to be. Local reports state that Brees was offered a generous contract before the 2011 season and he wanted to wait. I can’t feel sorry for him.

    And if he doesn’t report then he will show all of his talk about “team first” in the past 6 years to be complete BS.

  20. jade amor says: Mar 8, 2012 5:21 PM

    If Brees wants to play hard ball, I say F him. The Saints should go secretly meet with Manning, and get him on board. He is from there, his father played there, they have a great offense, they play in a dome, etc etc etc… Go get Manning, pull the Franchise tag from Brees, and send him packing

    ____________________________________________

    Yes please do. I would like to see how committed the niners are to Alex Smith. Afterall, we know for 100% certainty that Drew is fully healthy and at the very top of his game. Please New Orleans send him packing and sign Manning instead… Dude you can’t seriously be a Saints fan with that logic can you?

  21. If I’m Mr. Benson and I’m getting pretty pissed off right now and saying FU to Loomis and Payton. I’ll take Brees and hire a new coach and GM….

  22. On top of everything else, are these fools really going to drive away one of the top three QBs in the league? Seriously? It’s a quarterback-driven business. With a healthy Peyton, the league has four elite QBs, three nearly elite QBs, and maybe another three who are really good. That’s 10 guys we know can do the job year-in and year-out. The rest range from really promising to heaven-help-us.

    But the Saints would risk one of those top four elite guys over … what? Some ego power play? Sorry for the fans, but management are idiots.

  23. Listen up morons, anyone who has been a Saints fan longer than a minute knows that we’re not going to turn on Drew. We’ve seen enough out of Tom Benson and the management over the years to know where the problem lies. Turning your back on the best player in your team’s history is something we’ll leave to the state of Wisconsin.

    WE SUPPORT YOU DREW!!!

  24. suckleague says: Mar 8, 2012 5:04 PM

    now you’re trying to screw your franchise QB (that’s one of the greatest out there, threw for a zillion yards and broke every record there is) out of top 3 money.
    ===

    Do people just make up things they want to believe on here? Where did you ever read that the Saints are not offering him Top 3 money? They are. Brees wants Top 1 money.

  25. Brees is a great QB, but as a person, he is a complete fraud. He has stated that he feels he shouldn’t be responsible for helping injured veterans, but yet he sat back and let his teammates purposely try to injur players. HIPICRIT! Enjoy your ASTERIISK Super Bowl!

  26. No santa clause, easter bunny, tooth fairy – and now THIS?!! i’m outta here!

  27. Damn, Just a few months ago all I was hearing was Brees was a punk from the peanut gallery for setting records and now every one wants him to leave and play for them. Boy, y’all just gotta have it your way Huh.
    If I had it my way, I’d let him slide because I cant stand to be extorted. I love him when it fits but his demands are rediculus and if you have to buy wins this way, it’s no worse than taking chump change for great hits. The common denominator in all this is money and greed. What ever happend to an honest days pay for an honest days work.
    If it fits y’alls agenda, your all for it, but if it dont, you want blood.

  28. I think its about time for some good ole QB shuffle this year. Give Romo to the Saints and lets have a go at Brees or Manning.

  29. For all those saying “Pay the man”, my response is that 19 million is on hell of a payment. We should all be so lucky…

  30. Saints fans will care only if Brees doesn’t sign his tender by week 1. Until then, he’s just a player not under contract doing what he feels is necessary to maximize the value of a long term deal.

    Not really sure how anyone can fault him for this.

  31. Team First has to cut both ways. The Saints can’t cram it to you … then cry ‘team first’ when you don’t like it.

  32. Interesting theory on him not wanting to be there but I can’t buy it. Glad to see his true colors are showings bright and bold. What many many people see in him now a lot of us called out during CBA negotiations earlier this year. He’s a class act. Emphasis on act(ing).

  33. Brees isn’t going anywhere, and he shouldn’t sign it. After one of the best QB seasons in the history of the NFL, this guy deserves better.

  34. jonny42671 says:
    Mar 8, 2012 5:33 PM
    Brees is a great QB, but as a person, he is a complete fraud. He has stated that he feels he shouldn’t be responsible for helping injured veterans, but yet he sat back and let his teammates purposely try to injur players. HIPICRIT! Enjoy your ASTERIISK Super Bowl!

     ——–
    Have you ever attended school? Your grammar says otherwise.

  35. I won’t hold the “team first” stuff against him since it’s pretty obvious teams use that as financial leverage. We expect the players to say all the right things, then turn around and use it against them. Players are expected to put the team first, but we give owners a free pass on putting their bank account first. The dude has talent and he deserves to be paid his due according to what the market dictates. If the Saints can’t pony up, let him go somewhere else where he can. Yes, it’s more money that you or I will ever see in our lifetime, and more than he’ll likely ever spend in his lifetime, but we’re all the same insofar as we all want a fair shake without being expected to work for less than we’re worth.

  36. hold your water fans….
    he won’t sign tender because he wants a long term deal, meaning he wants to stay in New Orleans. the 2014 cap is supposed to increase greatly and blow salaries wide open for elite athletes….whatever long term contract he signs today is the one he is going to be under in 2014, if he is asking for 23m/yr and the saints are offering 18.5 and they would meet in the middle at 20.75 million who is to say that number will be top 5 QB money in the 3rd and 4th year of the contract and beyond. Brees has proven that he will live up to whatever contract he signs regardless of how it ranks against others in future years. Also with Condon as the agent to both Brees and Manning he may want to see what he can get for an 80% healthy Manning and attempt to extrapolate Brees’ fair market value from that number without ever having to shop Brees around.

    The Saints made the decision to let Nicks, Meachem and Porter walk long ago and are already aware of other teams wariness concerning Colston and will attempt to resign him once he tests the market. Brees knows this and knows that he is not hurting the team. Brees is a class act and must be extremely angered by this bounty gate scandal and no one would blame him if he demanded out because of it, however something tells me that he is chomping at the bit to get this deal done so he can somehow shoulder this and carry the team and city through….he seems to be good at that.

  37. I know the franchise tag is here to stay as part of the new CBA but personally I hate it. If at the end of a contract a team is unwilling to pay a guy what another team would offer then that other team should be able to step in. Also the players hate it as it creates animosity towards management and uncertainty for that player’s long-term situation.

  38. Considering some of his coaches and teammates could end up with some long suspensions thanks to the bounty crap, this is the perfect opportunity for Brees to lay down the “I’ll just sit out the year” card and it have some believable merit.

  39. This is 100% the GM’s fault. No way I don’t fire him and give Brees his money if I’m the owner. dumbest GM of all time

  40. clownsfan says:Mar 8, 2012 5:06 PM

    Pay this guy already!!! You desperately need some good pub. Give him what he deserves. If not for Drew Brees you’d still be irrelevant. And you know this….
    ____________________

    Correction, if not for Nick Saban and the Dolphins choosing Culpepper over Brees, they would be irrelevant…lol

  41. Pay the man…top dollar or minimum top 3 at his position.after what happened to Peyton, Drew you need to get the money now!!!!

  42. they will look a long long long time for a guy that can carry that offence like he does.
    That isnt number 18

  43. As a saints fan I would take Manning if it doesn’t work out. Bring in Moss and Wayne too. It would never happen. Brees needs to remember we gave him a chance. We have a team to maintain. Our iff

  44. As a saints fan I would take Manning if it doesn’t work out. Bring in Moss and Wayne too. It would never happen. Brees needs to remember we gave him a chance. We have a team to maintain.

  45. Isn’t Peyton Manning from New Orleans? I bet he would like to run that offense!

  46. Why does PFT have it out for Brees so bad. Everytime they talk about him, its about Brees great image and that he has to sign the tender, get screwed by his team and deal with it.

    How about the team is the bad guy for not giving a long term deal to their best player. Maybe if you shift the focus there, Brees doesn’t even look bad for not letting himself get used.

  47. goldrush36 says: Mar 8, 2012 5:23 PM

    You’d look better in Red and Gold than you do in Black and Gold anyway Drew. Sorry Alex, you’re a great kid, but Drew is a great QB despite what his D-bag GM says
    ——————————-
    Oh, but I thought all 49er fans had decided that Brees cannot play outside………

  48. If anyone on that team deserves better treatment from the FO, it’s Brees. What’s he’s done with that average supporting cast is amazing. Yes, i said average.

  49. How???? Can a QB claim to be a team first guy…yet,,,hold out for just under 20% of the teams’ payroll????

    Eli, Brady…sign team friendly deals…Peyton, Brees,,handcuff their team. People forget, Colts had about 4-6 NFL players on their roster..rest were borderline CFL players.

  50. Perhaps Brees will wait to see how heavily the NFL penalizes the Saints. Loss of the coach and GM for the season – as well as suspensions for some defensive players – might give Brees the leverage to force the Saints to pay him what he wants to help prevent further loss of prestige by the franchise.

  51. OK how’s this for an OTB prediction based on this event: Peyton goes to NOLA (Benson might even have to fire Payton and Loomis to do it), along w/ Wayne and Garcon, and Drew goes to Zona w/ Meacham and Colston

  52. musicman495 says: Mar 8, 2012 6:40 PM

    goldrush36 says: Mar 8, 2012 5:23 PM

    You’d look better in Red and Gold than you do in Black and Gold anyway Drew. Sorry Alex, you’re a great kid, but Drew is a great QB despite what his D-bag GM says
    ——————————-
    Oh, but I thought all 49er fans had decided that Brees cannot play outside………
    _______________________________________

    No sorry boss many of the fans from EVERY team said that. I like to stay realistic in all this hoopla though. I’m sure the dome helped because you don’t face any weather conditions, but Brees is Damn good and nothing can take that away. Fact is Alex had his career moment while that game wasn’t much off from just normal business as usual for Drew and the defense just got to him a little early. Rodgers and Brees are the top 2. Not even gonna put ’em in order because to me they are about the same level. I think Brady has dropped a notch and Peyton well who knows at this point. I like to poke fun like the next guy but I do truly feel bad for you guys. After all those years you guys start turning the whole culture around to just get slapped in the face again. The fans deserve better than that.

  53. Can you imagine what kind of “incentives” Payton will pony up for knocking Brees out of a game if he doesn’t sign with New Orleans…

  54. Is any one player worth $23 million a year for three consecutive years? No. One great player does not equal a good team. The Colts paid Manning $23 million for one year, and we see how well that team did without him. Paying Brees $23 million a year would cripple the team and put them one injury away from a losing season.

    Also, the Saints already offered him the second largest contract in NFL history, with a higher yearly average than both Manning and Brady’s $18 millionish a year overall average, and Brees turned it down cold.

    His manager is trying to use Manning’s old contract, which paid him $23 million last year, as the basis for negotiations. Now, we see that that contract last one year (due to injury), the team was horrible without him, and Manning will likely get nowhere near $23 million on a new contract.

    The Saints have a history of giving injured QB’s a chance (e.g. Brees). Let Brees go to free agency, and offer Manning the same contract that Brees turned down. It would be sort of fitting for Manning to retire from the team that his dad played for, and in his hometown.

    The Saints would never let Brees go that easily, but Manning would probably be the only QB the fans would accept in his place. Can you imagine a the free-agency bidding war that would break loose if Brees went on the open market? And the fan reaction in N.O. if Brees was let go and Manning hired? …I doubt that will never happen, but with the Saints offseason going the way it has, I’m not putting anything past management at this point.

  55. lol yeah the whole image by ” two of the leagues best QB’s ” is really amazing to me.. First of all Manning and Brees play in an indoor stadium so I do think that thier number are inflated compared to other QB’s to some degree but what amazes me most is the fact that Manning had 28 million bonus coming to him after getting a 26 million bonus last year and didnt even play…. and Brees was offered 18 million a year and rejected it cause saying.. its not enough. If these two guys didnt preach ” TEAM FIRST ” and how every interview is about team and winning and doing what is best for team ect ect … goes to show you is a god and pony show. Bree’s cares about Bree’s and Manning cares about Manning…. Doesnt matter what thier salary does to resigning the help around them .. Practive what you preach guys…. these two are no different than any other play on any other team so why fans of that team or the media tries to paint a different picture and call them ” TEAM” guys is rediculous and a PR stunt until it gets down to the numbers. Screw them both and the media for making them out to be as some sort of unselfish guys when they are no different than any other player trying to get thiers.

  56. Saints are a joke. If I was Drew Brees just becasue they were willing to dick you around and disrespect you to begin with after all you’ve done I would not only not sign the franchise tag, but I would shut down all future contract negotiations with the New Orleans Saint, and never play for them again.

    The Saints with all their problems as of lately aren’t in any position to be pushing Drew around. The Saints are also lucky that Brees is only asking them to match the Brady and Manning deals. If I was Drew Brees, I would say look it at this way Saints, I’m not those guys and those deals are in the past. I’ve just set the NFL record for passing yards and I’m number 1, so therefore you guys are going to give me the largest QB contract of all time!!! I just don’t 5 extra million to match theres’, but I want 10 Million extra, 5mill more than them. Show me the money b**ches or I walk and then because they FRAN TAg’d him I would shut down and sign with some one else that will pay him that money.

  57. jenniferxxx says:
    Mar 8, 2012 5:47 PM
    Team First has to cut both ways. The Saints can’t cram it to you … then cry ‘team first’ when you don’t like it.

     __________________________

    for once and probably the last time. I agree with you

  58. as a buc fan, i love it, now they can go back to wearing paper bags over their heads, the hell with the aint’s

  59. Welcome back Aints. Get those bags ready. Your poised to piss this one right down your leg and have 20 more years of hating life

  60. Brees is one of the best QB’s in the league and is consistently good. He is going through the latter part of his career and deserves to be paid well. I’m no Saints fan but respect Brees (always have since his San Diego days).

    The Saints are quickly becoming scum in the NFL – their Super Bowl win is looking more and more like a sham earned by ill-gotten sacks and hits bribed by the bounty system.

    Sean Payton is looking more and more like a little worm of a man – hellbent to win at any cost. It’s amazing how quickly he has fallen in the league as far as respectable coaches. He is as dishonest and repugnant as that New England cheating jerk who sold his soul to win.

    I hope Brees makes the Saints pay dearly. He might just be the only Saint that won’t go to hell when the world ends.

  61. It’s not about “team first.” It’s a business in which players have a short window of earning opportunity before their careers end. The league has 32 teams. And if Peyton can play, the league has four elite quarterbacks: Peyton, Brady, Rodgers, and Brees. Eli, Roethlisberger, and Rivers are knocking at the elite door. That’s seven guys we know have consistent championship skills in a league of 32 teams. Their rarity makes them valuable.

    If you were that valuable to your employer, you would not be saying “team first.” You’d expect to be paid what you’re worth and to be treated with the respect you’ve earned.

  62. No one in the Saints organization ever thought Brees would sign the franchise tender. Never was going to happen, but had to tag Brees so that he could be locked down with Saints and they can try to continue to work out a long term deal.

    However, if Brees really wants 23 million a year, it is not going to happen. There has to be some compromise there. So it could be a hold out.

    But no one is expecting that. He will probably sign for about 21 million a year. Brees was already offered the most lucrative contract in NFL history, but both sides are bargaining and playing hard ball and that is the way it should be. Highly unlikely Brees does not sign a new deal soon.

  63. suckleague says:
    Mar 8, 2012 5:04 PM
    I disagree, I think it makes the organization look bad. You’ve already got this bounty thing that’s a massive black eye on the club, now you’re trying to screw your franchise QB (that’s one of the greatest out there, threw for a zillion yards and broke every record there is) out of top 3 money.

    he was offered top 1 money already and Brees turned it down (wants 5 million more a year). Brees is trying to get the best contract he can and no one should fault him for that. He will likely sign a long term deal soon and no one will remember this delay. But if Brees wants 23 million per year, may not get that from any team.

  64. See the problem is, you all thought Brees was a team first guy in the first place – he’s a genius when it comes to public image. He doesn’t give rat’s ass about the Saints and #1 piece of evidence to support that was his request to be excluded from the franchise tag for the rest of his career.

  65. Still LOVE the team, but never really cared for the management since the beginning (John Mecom would not spend the money to get decent players). But I still support the team and Drew. I think he desreves one of the top salaries and will get it. Say what you want about domes vs open stadiums, he put the numbers up. Remember, it doesn’t say “ugly win”, it just says WIN.

  66. Here a a couple facts since many here seem to just post ridiculous statements without actually knowing the facts:

    1) Brees has an offer on the table right now that is an average of Brady’s and Manning’s. So he has been offered top 3 money.

    2) Saints offered to extend Brees’ contract during last season at $23m/year. That would have made him the highest paid player in the NFL.

    3) Now he wants the $23m a year contract, which in my opinion he will get, but he will never see the #’s he has the past few seasons because the Saints will not be able to re-sign Nicks their probowl guard. Anytime the Saints play teams who get pressure from the middle they have trouble because Brees’ size means he needs the throwing lanes which dissapear with middle pressure.

    So all you complaining about the Saints should treat him right and all this can just drop it, because he has a very fair offer on the table, he just wants more. I cant say I blame the guy, it will be his last contract of his career and he wants to get paid, but it will cripple the franchise and all but erase their chances of repeating any SB championships.

  67. Come on now we can’t loose Brees,we want to go to the Super Bowl in 2013

  68. cuda1234 says:
    Mar 8, 2012 6:28 PM
    Isn’t Peyton Manning from New Orleans? I bet he would like to run that offense!

    Peyton Manning, much as he loves New Orleans, and New Orleans loves him, will not want to play here. He does not want to play in the same conference as Eli.

    Regardless . . . . we also love and need Drew!!!

  69. Drew Bree earned what he wants to get paid.
    The FO got to paid him what he earned.
    If it was u on this post due a raise on your job that u earned u would want it to.

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