Brees: I know I can still play. (2 Viewers)

[jbourque]

If this isn't the last grasp at relevance I have never seen it. Leave on his own terms? Why is the best QB ever thinking like that? He wants one more season so he can have his farewell tour, which is great as long as it isn't starting for us. I love the guy but he is done and more likely to have a Payton Manning finale than a victory tour resulting in a SB victory.

I don't think Saints fan realize Drew isn't going to retire once the Saint's finally do decide to move on from him. I would speculate he will finish with another team. He will play until injury forces him out or until he can no longer complete the 6yd pass.

 

[Saint Jack]

If this isn't the last grasp at relevance I have never seen it. Leave on his own terms? Why is the best QB ever thinking like that? He wants one more season so he can have his farewell tour, which is great as long as it isn't starting for us. I love the guy but he is done and more likely to have a Payton Manning finale than a victory tour resulting in a SB victory.

I really hope if Brees goes on a farewell tour with another team, I hope the breakup with the Saints isn’t as harsh as Favre to the Packers or Montana to the 49ers. It took years for them to reconnect with them after they actually retired.

 

[No2DC]

I don't think Saints fan realize Drew isn't going to retire once the Saint's finally do decide to move on from him. I would speculate he will finish with another team. He will play until injury forces him out or until he can no longer complete the 6yd pass.

I can live with that, if he and Brady want to fight over records. The critical question is what is best for the team? Some folks just want to avoid the inevitable. Montana and Farve had a couple years left but their teams made the right decision. Even the great Jerry Rice, didn't finish with San Fran. This happens with a lot of great players. Our beloved Sam Mills went to a division rival, the team is bigger than Drew.

 

[Dr. Sting]

That statement is pure hubris. There is no way he can know if he can play 3-4 more years when he is already 41. Take off your black and gold colored glasses. I have been reading biographies of some of the all time great QBs. Johnny Unitas, Ken Stabler, etc. They said the same thing and fell off of a cliff.

 

[Saint Taysom]

Brees’ inability to throw the deep ball is his only weakness... yes, it is an issue, but in every other way, he’s still an elite QB.

To me, the biggest issue is $$$. Brees is undeniably in year-to-year mode at this point, and each future year could be his last... Do the Saints risk losing some of their key young pieces in order to hang on to Brees for as long as possible? ...I don’t know the answer to that, but I am 99% sure that Brees will be a Saint next season.

Brees and his agent do not give discounts. He will be paid as an elite-level QB next season certainly... Even if Brees were to leave New Orleans next season, he still counts $20M or so against the cap.

So... the Saints re-sign Brees to another 1 year deal... they kick the can on the dead $ down the road a little (again)... and then they do their best to fix the issues that saw them wet the bed at home vs the 6th seed Vikings.

I can’t imagine Bridgewater returns as Brees’ backup... I know he loves the team and city, but he’s going to get $20M from someone else, and that’s just too much to pass on.

Taysom Hill cannot be the #2 QB. He’s either the starter or he needs to be in the same role as he is in now... He would be wasted as a #2.

Chase Daniel could be an answer as the #2... or even Josh McCown for a 1 year stop-gap.

 

[LaCumba]

I don't really think it's that complicated.

He wants to be the one to decide when it's time to hang it up. Not when a team decides for him, or some idiotic fans on a forum who have produced some of the most unintelligent "takes" over the last five days that I've seen in over a decade of reading this forum, such as indicating that we are better off with Taysom Hill as a starting quarterback than Brees heading into 2020.

That would be an option if he owned the team. He is not the owner and does not make that decision. This is a BUSINESS!! Fans are the ones who are all in their feelings.

 

[BoNcHiE]

That statement is pure hubris. There is no way he can know if he can play 3-4 more years when he is already 41. Take off your black and gold colored glasses. I have been reading biographies of some of the all time great QBs. Johnny Unitas, Ken Stabler, etc. They said the same thing and fell off of a cliff.

People have been predicting that cliff for about three years now. He showed little sign of falling off it last season. That last loss to the Vikings could have been in 2010. That wasn't Brees falling off it a cliff, it was his long time kryptonite of middle pressure and bad OL play.

The only reason to move on from Brees is money and possible complications in setting ourselves up for a future run (i.e. we don't want to lose Teddy for the next 10 years to keep Brees for 1). I can understand that argument and sometimes I find myself thinking it might be for the best as well. But from a pure play standpoint, Brees is still throwing a bunch of TDs, few INTs, and completing a higher percentage of passes than anyone who's ever played the game.

 

[FWtex]

If this isn't the last grasp at relevance I have never seen it. Leave on his own terms? Why is the best QB ever thinking like that? He wants one more season so he can have his farewell tour, which is great as long as it isn't starting for us. I love the guy but he is done and more likely to have a Payton Manning finale than a victory tour resulting in a SB victory.

I was able to see the actual tweet last night and it does appear to be a kinda telling of his frame of mind. What I think he is saying is that he is not going to let the end of a contract determine when he finishes his career and he will decide that. Its kinda like a breakup where you did not break up with me I broke up with you.

I really, really do believe the decision has been made and all parties are trying to take the most professional and delicate approach as to how it is going to play out so everyone puts out the best face. The saints don't want to look like they are tossing out fan favorite Brees and at the same time give some impression Brees is no longer good enough to play. Brees on the other hand does not want to risk a hit to his high fan acceptance if he decides to try to play another year or two with another team.

 

[Saint Jack]

That would be an option if he owned the team. He is not the owner and does not make that decision. This is a BUSINESS!! Fans are the ones who are all in their feelings.

I think it’s because this is really the first time the franchise has been in this position.
It’s hard to let go of a HOF player go, add to that he’s the one that brought the team to a national level and gave it legitimacy in the eyes of the nation.
This is new territory for the franchise.

 

[LaCumba]

I think it’s because this is really the first time the franchise has been in this position.
It’s hard to let go of a HOF player go, add to that he’s the one that brought the team to a national level and gave it legitimacy in the eyes of the nation.
This is new territory for the franchise.

It's not that hard to let go. The Saints didn't even guarantee his entire contract. And he had to negotiate a no trade clause. For a HOF QB who brought you your only championship, that speaks volume to me.

 

[Saint Jack]

It's not that hard to let go. The Saints didn't even guarantee his entire contract. And he had to negotiate a no trade clause. For a HOF QB who brought you your only championship, that speaks volume to me.

I think it’s gonna be tougher for the fans to let go of Brees. He, along with Payton, brought the team from a post relocation Browns type of situation into an actual franchise that has respect.

 

[FWtex]

I think it’s gonna be tougher for the fans to let go of Brees.

I do not think it will be tough. Look at how the fans got behind Teddy over that 5 game stretch. Once the fans see the old Payton offense in action again it will create the same rally around whoever that QB is. There is no way that Payton puts a QB back there that cannot be successful running his offense.

 

[Saint Jack]

I do not think it will be tough. Look at how the fans got behind Teddy over that 5 game stretch. Once the fans see the old Payton offense in action again it will create the same rally around whoever that QB is. There is no way that Payton puts a QB back there that cannot be successful running his offense.

I agree it’ll be easier with Teddy because we’ve seen what he can do with Payton, but it’s still letting go of a HOF QB.
It’ll be tough to see him in another jersey is what I’m trying to say.

 

[jbourque]

I agree it’ll be easier with Teddy because we’ve seen what he can do with Payton, but it’s still letting go of a HOF QB.
It’ll be tough to see him in another jersey is what I’m trying to say.

Tougher if he goes to Tampa!

 

[AARPSaint]

When its 3rd and 35, I agree, otherwise, not really

Most teams don't have a viable play for 3rd and 35--unless it's versus the Saints.