Ok My take....

1. The risk of contracting Brees (because of his shoulder) runs out on the last day of this contract. No one can hold onto that any more. There was a risk, that was offset by a low contract figure... Both have run its course and are moot.

2. Brees knew that Brady, and Manning were going to be closing contracts this year so it is only prudent that he wait until after those are done to accept the offer of highest paid QB in the league. If he accepts too early he becomes the highest paid QB for 46 minutes.

3. @Jeanpierre - Endorsements are "on top of", and have nothing to do with his contract. There is no guarantee of endorsements, history, 2 Super Bowls. anything mentioned. I repeat... No Way to guarantee. So he is chasing the only way to secure his financial future with a guarantee. A front loaded contract with guaranteed money.
I can offset all of that with "The team will benefit equally in areas of finance and history".


Lets take a step back and not look at it as Drew Brees, rich guy, trying to milk the team.

FORGET $ figures

Lets look at it as "you/me" negotiating your pay at a new employer. The following topics would not be up for debate or discussion with my new employer during this negotiation.

Whats in my Checking account
Whats in my Savings account
How big my home is
Weather or not I have a swimming pool
What my last employer paid me
How much income I collect from a lawn service
How much income I get from oil royalties
How great my name may become in this given industry

ALSO

I am not going to leverage the following against my employer because that is not his problem:

My credit card debt
How much money my wife spends
The companies profit margins from last year

Now any negotiator worth his salt would try and leverage all that against Drew, but anyone with any sense will end that approach most rickety tick.



At the end of the day I think the team needs to close Drews long term contract more than he does.... Which is why you see him sitting back and letting things play out. He has them by the ballz.

You pay him 1 million bucks more than Manning or Brady (whoever is making the most). Gaurantee the first three years and make it front loaded.

It depends how you look at it, and how the deal is structured. The only number on the deal that matters is the one next to "guaranteed", and what does the guarantee cover. All other numbers can change, be paid, or vanish into thin air.

So when you hear Brees was offered $21 million a year, that doesn't mean they Saints would give Drew 16 checks worth $21 million every year. It just means that the possible earnings within the contract could average $21 million a year throughout the length of the contract.

As for the guaranteed money, not all guaranteed money is paid equal. For example, you can have a contract that guarantees your money of you get injured, but not if your performance drops below a certain level, in which case you can be cut and not see a dime more.

Right now, the 3 highest guarantees in NFL contracts are: Calvin Johnson $60 million, then Sam Bradford $50 million, then Brady $48 million, although we don't know the terms of the guarantees. In any case, any guaranteed money amount for Brees would need to start at least at $50 million, and then the guarantees would have to be the "right" guarantees in the eyes of Brees.