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In hindsight, Drew Brees’ 2006 free agency left multiple teams looking dejected. The former-San Diego Chargers had given up on him after a season-ending shoulder injury, which also deterred the Miami Dolphins — to the New Orleans Saints’ benefit. But the Chargers had been looking for a reason to move on from Brees after drafting Philip Rivers the year before, which still doesn’t quite check out.
It’s not a problem that Alvin Kamara anticipates he’ll experience any time soon. The Saints’ Pro Bowl running back signed a long-term contract extension just before the season started, and he’s already building his case for Offensive Player of the Year honors. And while he understands the hard choices that come with running a football franchise, ditching Brees isn’t a call he would have signed off on.
“It’s business, but shit, that’s not a business decision I would’ve made,” Kamara said during his Friday media conference call. Kamara, 10 years old at the time, probably didn’t take note of Brees’ move back in 2006, but you never know. He has a gift for predicting how plays will develop on the field, and who’s to say he couldn’t have foreseen how things would shake out had he been running the Chargers instead of riding his bike around Atlanta?
Brees himself was reportedly critical of the move at the time. When then-Chargers quarterbacks coach Brian Schottenheimer told Brees the team was looking to bring in some young competition, he says Brees replied, “‘That would be the worst (expletive) mistake this organization could ever make.'”
That’s tough to argue with. The Chargers never experienced much postseason success with Rivers, whereas Brees won Super Bowl XLIV with the Saints and is looking to go out with another title to his credit. Rivers is playing in Indianapolis these days, and the Chargers are playing in Los Angeles. And Brees is still playing in New Orleans.
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