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The 2015 Season May Be Last For Drew Brees In New Orleans

By Erik Lambert

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Sep 20, 2015; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees (9) celebrates a touchdown pass to wide receiver Willie Snead (not pictured) during the second half of a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. The Buccaneers defeated the Saints 26-19. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

Few have had a more brilliant career with any one team that Drew Brees has enjoyed with the New Orleans Saints.  Since 2006, when he was coming off a torn rotator cuff and accepted the daunting task of reviving a team and a city ravaged by Hurricane Katrina, Brees played like the future Hall of Famer he is.

In three years he got the team their first ever Super Bowl championship, playing as close to perfect as any quarterback has on the big stage.  In total he’s gotten the team to the playoffs five times and is the only player in NFL history to throw for 5,000 yards in four different seasons, including three-in-a-row.  His 5,476 in 2011 stands as the single-season record.  He also has never passed for fewer than 33 touchdowns since the start of the new decade.

What else is there to say?  Brees will likely be a slam dunk Hall of Fame inductee for the Saints when he finally hangs up the cleats.  Unfortunately, his time with the team as an active player may be coming to an end.

The Saints decided to clear up $2.6 million in salary cap space for this season by restructuring Brees’ deal.  That may help in the short-term, but it makes his cap number for 2016 absolutely intolerable at $30 million.  New Orleans has been dealing with cap problems as it is, so much in fact they were forced to trade Jimmy Graham just for some relief.  This maneuver pretty much ensures that 2015 could be the last one Brees enjoys in gold and black.

That only further explains the reasoning behind the team drafting Garrett Grayson in the 3rd round this past May.  Most believed he was likely a developmental project for the team to take over once Brees was finished.  Obviously they didn’t expect it to happen so soon but suffice to say the Colorado State product could be in line to step up next year.

Much will depend on whether or not Brees is interested in discussing a new contract.  If not, then this scenario is inevitable.

Next: 2016 NFL Mock Draft: Creating Quarterback Controversies

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