Brees and the NFLPA -- had not heard this before

I have no idea what to make of all of it, honestly. My own impression remains that he has been willing to be a consistent advocate for his fellow players in an outspoken way (which carries endorsement and popularity risk) while a large number of other top-shelf stars were not. I guess there's so much we just don't see.

I think that goes a long way in explaining the disparity in pay for Brees and the other two. Jeff Saturday wasn't risking millions in endorsements to speak up for the players. Drew Brees was.