Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints face $10 million gap in guaranteed money

SmashMouth · 07-12-2012, 12:14 AM

Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints still must close a significant gap in guaranteed money to agree on a five-year contract worth about $100 million by Monday's looming deadline for a long-term deal, a person familiar with the negotiations told the Associated Press.

According to an Associated Press report, the biggest holdup in the Drew Brees contract negotiations is in the amount to be guaranteed.
The AP report said the sides were more than $10 million apart in the guaranteed portion of the contract Wednesday, quoting a source on condition of anonymity because talks the talks are ongoing.

The stakes are high for both sides and the negotiations have lasted for months, including long gaps in communication between the camps.

Brees, who is 33 and entering his 12th season, has never before had the chance to negotiate a contract on par with the elite quarterbacks of the game. The Saints, meanwhile, risk alienating the best quarterback in franchise history, not to mention their fan base, by failing to make an offer to his satisfaction by Monday -- the deadline for players with the franchise tag to sign long-term deals.

Several months ago, Brees first raised the possibility that he would not report to the opening of training camp if all that was on the table at that time was the one-year franchise tag of about $16.3 million. People familiar with the quarterback's plans say that remains the case.

Brees has said he does not want to play under a one-year contract with no long-term security in the coming seasons. He did it once before, with costly consequences, when he played under the franchise tag for San Diego in 2005 and wound up with a career-threatening injury to his throwing shoulder.

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07-12-2012, 12:14 AM	#1
SmashMouth I donated, did you? Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Mandeville, LA Posts: 37,191 Blog Entries: 29	Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints face $10 million gap in guaranteed money Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints still must close a significant gap in guaranteed money to agree on a five-year contract worth about $100 million by Monday's looming deadline for a long-term deal, a person familiar with the negotiations told the Associated Press. According to an Associated Press report, the biggest holdup in the Drew Brees contract negotiations is in the amount to be guaranteed. The AP report said the sides were more than $10 million apart in the guaranteed portion of the contract Wednesday, quoting a source on condition of anonymity because talks the talks are ongoing. The stakes are high for both sides and the negotiations have lasted for months, including long gaps in communication between the camps. Brees, who is 33 and entering his 12th season, has never before had the chance to negotiate a contract on par with the elite quarterbacks of the game. The Saints, meanwhile, risk alienating the best quarterback in franchise history, not to mention their fan base, by failing to make an offer to his satisfaction by Monday -- the deadline for players with the franchise tag to sign long-term deals. Several months ago, Brees first raised the possibility that he would not report to the opening of training camp if all that was on the table at that time was the one-year franchise tag of about $16.3 million. People familiar with the quarterback's plans say that remains the case. Brees has said he does not want to play under a one-year contract with no long-term security in the coming seasons. He did it once before, with costly consequences, when he played under the franchise tag for San Diego in 2005 and wound up with a career-threatening injury to his throwing shoulder. read more Attached Thumbnails