If the Saints' first Super Bowl victory earned an "Amen!" then Drew Brees' new contract deserves a "Hallelujah!" The Who Dat Nation can finally exhale after Brees and the Saints agreed to a long-awaited five-year contract worth $100 million, making the 33-year-old quarterback the highest-paid player in NFL history.
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New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees said he's ready to get to work now that he's agreed to terms on a five-year, $100 million contract.
The deal came two days before Monday's deadline for franchise-tagged players to reach long-term contracts. And it came just 11 days before the New Orleans Saints are scheduled to report to training camp.
"I couldn't be happier or more excited. It's a pretty surreal moment to finally get to this point," Brees said in an interview with WWL radio Friday evening. "I'm just excited to get things started and get back together with all the guys in the locker room. I know the Who Dat Nation is ready as well."
Although the contract standoff between Brees and the Saints lasted nearly a year, everyone involved always remained optimistic that a deal would get done in time. As expected, Monday's looming deadline finally provided the push that was needed.
Ultimately, both sides agreed to move toward the middle - with the Saints budging a little further to get to that nice, round $100 million number.
"What Drew has accomplished in his time with the Saints, he deserves to be the highest paid player in the league," Saints General Manager Mickey Loomis said in a statement. "We are excited to have this deal done and behind us and look forward to the next five years with Drew as our quarterback."
Brees' average salary of $20 million surpassed the NFL-record $19.2 million per year that the Denver Broncos gave quarterback Peyton Manning earlier this year. He also set new financial marks with $40 million in the first year of the deal, including a $37 million signing bonus, and $60 million in guaranteed money, provided the Saints don't release him after the first or second season.
Brees, however, insisted Friday that he was never concerned with reaching any kind of symbolic benchmark. He even joked that his face was turning red while the radio hosts rattled off the record figures involved in his deal.
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