Oddly enough, given the loyalty that he and the Saints have shown towards one another throughout what has become one of the most successful and productive marriages in the history of both free agency and football as a whole, I actually think Drew Brees' track record of contract negotiations is a preeminent example of just how painstaking the business side of sports can be. What New Orleans did by signing the embodiment of their franchise to a two year, 50 million dollar deal that will likely bring him to the verge of retirement was nothing more than the inevitable, yet - even at their most imminent - those dealings still went down to the 11th hour. Of course, I know it's more complicated than figuring out the term, the final figure, and how much of it is guaranteed. Still, it's pretty indicative of the penny pinching process that my dumb ass would only have been two million guaranteed dollars off if I had made a prediction on how things would play out two months ago. Obviously I think the calls placed by the Vikings, as well as a handful of other unnamed teams, to the representation of Drew Brees were cut shorter than those made by a delivery person standing outside a hot-boxed apartment building. Regardless, the fact that the Saints let it get to a point where they were able to be made legally is a sign of just how stubborn and unwavering the two sides were in desperately wanting to prolong their relationship. As for the deal itself, it seems about right for an aging quarterback who couldn't be more significant to the success of an otherwise young team. He definitely could have gotten more elsewhere, but it feels like a fair compromise for a player and an organization that work far better as a tandem. It may have been in a losing effort, but Drew Brees proved during the last game of the Saints' season that they desperately need him if they want to make the most of their improved defense and multi-faceted rushing attack. Now, I wouldn't be surprised if another quarterback, e.g. Lamar Jackson, were brought in later in the offseason to ease the transition of a future first ballot HOFer going triumphantly into the night after winning another Super Bowl, but that's a conversation for another day. Today is a day for Saints' fans to use the faux relief of a fateful signature as a reason to pop their heads outside an open championship window and breathe deeply the smell of an appropriate amount of optimism. As if there were any doubt, Drew Brees remains a New Orleans Saint and - if only for a couple hours - all remains right in the world of sports.
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