To all you Who Dats out there: A Happy Friday the 13th. Well, he signed.
Drew Brees wasn't the only one smiling Friday after he agreed to a record-setting $100 million contract.
Are you surprised?
Of course, not.
I am surprised it took so long. But that's how it goes in fun and games.
And money.
The way I look at it, Drew Brees was given what he was asking for.
Yes, while I'm guessing no NFL player ever went from being paid $10 million a year for six years, to an average of $20 million a year for the next five years, in the case of the New Orleans Saints quarterback, it makes sense.
It definitely makes business sense.
When Brees came aboard after accepting a six-year, $60 million deal in 2006, the Saints were gambling on a quarterback who had undergone major shoulder surgery while Brees was gambling on proving what he had always been on the football field, an overachiever.
Consider then and now.
In those six seasons, here's what happened.
Tom Benson became a better owner, the owner of a Super Bowl champion. And Sean Payton became a better coach, a coach with a Super Bowl ring.
And that's not all.
In those six seasons, you might say, thanks largely to the quarterback, the value of the franchise, according to Forbes Magazine, went from $738 million in 2006, $854 million in 2007, $837 million in 2008, $943 million in 2009, $955 million in 2010, $965 in 2011, and $1.1 billion in 2012.
Think about it.
Signing Drew Brees turned out to be the best decision in Saints history.
A franchise purchased for $85 million in 1985, Forbes tells us, improved in value, from, 2006 to 2012 by $362 million.
However you slice it, it's an impressive figure.
To me, it makes signing Drew Brees to a new contract, one that will pay him $100 million over the next five years, not only fitting, but deserved.
My guess is, as you watch NFL deals, it won't be long before some other quarterback will be commanding a salary in excess of $20 million a year. So it goes.
What makes Brees' immediate future intriguing, not to mention demanding, is having to deal with not having his favorite head coach around for the 2012 season.
Even with the key piece of your franchise back in harness, the Saints remain a playoff contender with an asterisk, with no Sean Payton for the time being, with a new defensive coordinator, with some new faces, and old ones, still having some proving to do.
What makes Brees special in such a stuation?
I liked what Lance Moore had to say.
"He's down to earth, he's genuine, he treats all players the same," said Moore, who seemed anxious to keep on catching passes from No. 9.
More than anything, the Saints need the kind of up-tempo, no-nonsense leadership Brees represents.
In a way, Brees and Moore are kindred spirits, proven overachievers, the kind of pieces on a roster that play a vital role in performance over a sustained period.
No sooner had Brees signed on for a Who Dat rebirth, you had TV talking heads predicting 10 victories or more.
Expectations are high. Perhaps too high.
What it does is give the NFL's Hundred Million Dollar Man a chance to prove, one more time, he can earn his keep.
So far, Drew Brees has done that, and more.
Drew Brees wasn't the only one smiling Friday after he agreed to a record-setting $100 million contract.Of course, not.
I am surprised it took so long. But that's how it goes in fun and games.
And money.
The way I look at it, Drew Brees was given what he was asking for.
Yes, while I'm guessing no NFL player ever went from being paid $10 million a year for six years, to an average of $20 million a year for the next five years, in the case of the New Orleans Saints quarterback, it makes sense.
It definitely makes business sense.
When Brees came aboard after accepting a six-year, $60 million deal in 2006, the Saints were gambling on a quarterback who had undergone major shoulder surgery while Brees was gambling on proving what he had always been on the football field, an overachiever.
Consider then and now.
In those six seasons, here's what happened.
Tom Benson became a better owner, the owner of a Super Bowl champion. And Sean Payton became a better coach, a coach with a Super Bowl ring.
And that's not all.
In those six seasons, you might say, thanks largely to the quarterback, the value of the franchise, according to Forbes Magazine, went from $738 million in 2006, $854 million in 2007, $837 million in 2008, $943 million in 2009, $955 million in 2010, $965 in 2011, and $1.1 billion in 2012.
Think about it.
Signing Drew Brees turned out to be the best decision in Saints history.
A franchise purchased for $85 million in 1985, Forbes tells us, improved in value, from, 2006 to 2012 by $362 million.
However you slice it, it's an impressive figure.
To me, it makes signing Drew Brees to a new contract, one that will pay him $100 million over the next five years, not only fitting, but deserved.
My guess is, as you watch NFL deals, it won't be long before some other quarterback will be commanding a salary in excess of $20 million a year. So it goes.
What makes Brees' immediate future intriguing, not to mention demanding, is having to deal with not having his favorite head coach around for the 2012 season.
Even with the key piece of your franchise back in harness, the Saints remain a playoff contender with an asterisk, with no Sean Payton for the time being, with a new defensive coordinator, with some new faces, and old ones, still having some proving to do.
What makes Brees special in such a stuation?
I liked what Lance Moore had to say.
"He's down to earth, he's genuine, he treats all players the same," said Moore, who seemed anxious to keep on catching passes from No. 9.
More than anything, the Saints need the kind of up-tempo, no-nonsense leadership Brees represents.
In a way, Brees and Moore are kindred spirits, proven overachievers, the kind of pieces on a roster that play a vital role in performance over a sustained period.
No sooner had Brees signed on for a Who Dat rebirth, you had TV talking heads predicting 10 victories or more.
Expectations are high. Perhaps too high.
What it does is give the NFL's Hundred Million Dollar Man a chance to prove, one more time, he can earn his keep.
So far, Drew Brees has done that, and more.
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