Report: Drew Brees turned down more money elsewhere to stay with Saints
A mystery team was willing to give Drew Brees a nice payday to leave New Orleans, but it wasn’t enough to get him to give up the French Quarter and beignets.
Brees and the Saints reportedly finalized a two-year, $50 million contract with just $27 million guaranteed on Tuesday, a deal that has a team option for the second year and appears to be a much better contract for the team than the player.
Citing a source, ESPN Saints reporter Mike Triplett wrote that Brees was offered $60 million guaranteed over two years by at least one other team, but the 39-year-old turned it down to stay with New Orleans, where he’s been since 2006.
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Triplett added that the Saints have been clear with Brees that now that he’s nearly 40, they want to keep him on year-to-year contracts.
Yahoo Sports’ Charles Robinson tweeted that “it wasn’t all smooth sailing” between New Orleans and Brees, and that the two-year, $50 million was the team’s take-it-or-leave it offer. Brees, at the team facility for longtime offensive lineman Zach Streif’s retirement event on Monday, met with general manager Mickey Loomis after and the two smoothed things over, clearing the way for the deal to be finalized.
Brees has started 190 games for the Saints, leading them to the playoffs six times in 12 years, including a win in Super Bowl XLIV.
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