Saints QB Brees not considering free agency

— The Sports Xchange —

Quarterback Drew Brees told ESPN that he does not plan to test free agency or wait until the start of the new NFL year on March 14 to sign a contract with the New Orleans Saints, which could cost him negotiating leverage.
However, Brees admitted that two days after the Saints were eliminated from the playoffs on an amazing play by the Minnesota Vikings is too soon to talk about contract decisions.
“We’re just two days removed, so I really haven’t given it a ton of thought — other than, I know where my mindset’s been the whole time, and that’s that I’ll be here,” said Brees, who turned 39 on Monday.
“… I’m not in the mood to make anything secretive. It’s the same way I felt two days ago. It’s the same way I felt 12 years ago. That is that I’ll be here as long as they’ll have me, hopefully.”
Brees said there is a “process” that will begin after the Saints’ coaches work at the Pro Bowl, end-of-season meetings with the staff and the NFL scouting combine.
It is expected that he will sign another short-term deal, along the lines of the one-year contract extension he signed in September 2016 that was worth $24.25 million.
The Saints cannot place the franchise tag on Brees because of a clause in his current deal, but must agree to a new contract before March 16, when other teams would be able to deal with him.
Brees led the Vikings to a 24-23 lead over the Vikings with 25 seconds left before Minnesota scored the winning touchdown on a 61-yard pass play with no time left.
“The sting of that loss is still pretty fresh for us all, and I know we would all say that we thought we’d still be playing right now,” Brees said. “But I think as we look back at the season and reflect, we have a lot to be proud of.
“I feel like we have a great window of opportunity (for a Super Bowl). I’ve been a part of talented teams in the past throughout my career, though, that have not lived up to expectations. I’ve also been a part of teams that were just gutsy and gritty, and surpassed expectations.
“So the bottom line is that success is dependent upon your willingness to work and the way that guys care about each other and the sense of urgency. So while I think we do have a talented team, I know that each year you have to go out and prove it.”
The Saints won the NFC South title this season with an 11-5 record and beat the Carolina Panthers in their playoff opener.