Drew Brees: not a matter of ‘if,’ but ‘when’ he re-signs with Saints

New Orleans Saints QB Drew Brees didn’t characterize his pending free agent status as any different than past years at the 2020 Pro Bowl.

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New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees sure doesn’t sound like someone who’s ready to call it a day after nearly two decades in the NFL. Brees, 41, is a pending free agent in March and has several potential avenues ahead of him: re-signing with New Orleans, joining a new squad in free agency, or quietly retiring from football. But when asked how he was feeling about his relationship with the Saints — and whether things have changed from his previous stance of staying as long as they’ll have him, Brees may over tipped his hand a little.

“Each one of these contracts, I don’t know how many it’s been, I’ve played with them 14 years. Each one it’s just not a matter of ‘if’ it gets done, it’s ‘when,'” Brees told NFL Network’s Jane Slater during an interview after Thursday’s Pro Bowl practice. “You know obviously at this stage of my career it’s not a given that I’m coming back every year but when that time comes, I’ll always be a Saint.”

That feels like a quarterback who’s preparing for year No. 20 in the NFL, and No. 15 in New Orleans. Brees has been the face of the Saints franchise throughout his tenure, shattering more all-time records than anyone to come before him. With other aging passers like Eli Manning, Philip Rivers, and maybe Tom Brady moving on from their old teams, it wouldn’t be a huge shock if Brees joined them in what’s looking like a mass exodus. But from the way he’s talking about the situation, fans can probably expect him to compete for one more Super Bowl title before it’s all said and done.

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