There are other ways Brees proved to be one of Smith's most vocal and invaluable backers. Publicly, Brees echoed Smith's harsh criticism of Goodell in the media, a powerful player visibly in Smith's corner, especially on high-profile player disciplinary matters. And even on below-the-radar, complicated issues, Brees proved to be an influential union ally. In 2014.....[a] Louisiana bill would dramatically limit benefits paid to players hurt outside the regular season.....Brees and the Saints' players representative publicly denounced the measure that their own team had endorsed. In a statement, Brees declared the legislation "is not good for Saints players, not good for our team or other sports teams in Louisiana and not good for our state." Weeks after Brees publicly opposed the bill, its sponsor pulled the legislation.........
......It appeared that not long after Brees joined the executive committee in 2008, the union had begun paying him enormous sums of money for that work -- more than $2 million some years. And during Brees' seven years on the executive committee, from fiscal years 2009 to 2015, the union paid a total of $9,619,965 to Brees, a company that he owns and to his foundation, according to the union's annual reports filed with the Department of Labor. The NFLPA paid Brees $2,423,504 in 2010, and in 2011, the year of the lockout and the new CBA, a total of $961,532. The payments are in a column denoting Brees' work as an executive committee member, the union records show.
The payments to Brees were not hidden -- they were public record -- but a strict reading of the federal paperwork shows they far outpaced those received by any other executive committee members, including Foxworth and Saturday, who in 2010 are listed getting $5,300 and $15,461 respectively.....