Brees scores $100M deal
Saints set record with QB contract
NEW ORLEANS – Drew Brees and the Saints reached a deal on par with the quarterback’s record-setting play, giving New Orleans’ fans some news they can celebrate after an off-season rife with turmoil.
The team announced Friday that it has agreed to a five-year contract with Brees. Someone familiar with the deal said it’s for $100 million, with $60 million guaranteed.
The deal will also pay the quarterback $40 million the first year, the person told Associated Press on condition of anonymity because financial details had not been publicly announced.
Brees posted a note on his Twitter page reading, “Deal is Done! Love you, Who Dat Nation. See you soon!”
He had been tagged as the Saints’ exclusive franchise player and could not negotiate with other teams.
Had a deal not been reached, the tender for a quarterback was worth $16.3 million. Brees would have had to play for that amount or hold out for a better one-year deal, which would have left his long-term future in New Orleans uncertain.
Brees skipped the Saints’ offseason practices while holding out for his new longterm contract, which now gives him the highest average annual pay ($20 million) in NFL history. Buffalo defensive end Mario Williams also has a $100 million contract, but for six years.
Brees’ new deal tops the previous benchmark contract for elite QBs set by the five-year, $96 million deal Denver gave earlier this offseason to Peyton Manning, who is three years older than Brees and sat out last season while recovering from neck surgery. Brees is set to report for training camp on July 24.