Wednesday, September 30, 2015
With three losses and quarterback Drew Brees’ injury in their way, the New Orleans Saints may need to consider their future sooner rather than later. Photo courtesy Flickr/Keith_Allison
It is early in the 2015 NFL season, but with the New Orleans Saints sitting at 0-3 with star quarterback Drew Brees out with an injury, it might be time for them to start thinking about the next few years.
Only five teams have recovered from a 0-3 start to make the playoffs, the last being the 1998 Buffalo Bills. If the Saints lose this week to the Dallas Cowboys, they would have to replicate the success of the 1992 San Diego Chargers, the only 0-4-starting team to make the playoffs since the AFL-NFL merger in 1966.
Two factors make it especially important for New Orleans to turn things around over the course of the season: Brees enters the final year of his contract in 2016, and he is scheduled to make more than $27 million next season.
Both Head Coach Sean Payton and General Manager Mickey Loomis are signed until 2017 at their respective positions. New Orleans could sign Brees for a single year—highly unlikely, given that he's currently 36 years old—and all three could ride out together. They could sign an extension and try to win one more Super Bowl together.
Or the Saints could cut Brees and save $20 million on their salary cap. The 2015 salary cap was $143.3 million, and many outlets are projecting the 2016 salary cap to be $150 million, although NBC Sports' Pro Football Talk said the cap could reach $160 million for the 2016 season.
Analytics website Overthecap.com has New Orleans already surpassing the estimated $150 million by more than $1 million. The Times-Picayune has the team at only $130 million next season but also says the Saints will have to re-sign several players, including Cam Jordan.
While the Saints won't be in cap hell like they were this offseason, there will be little room to make moves once again. They also have to decide if they can keep winning with Brees, who will be 37 years old in 2016, behind center.
Brees is one of the oldest starting quarterbacks in the NFL, along with Peyton Manning, who turns 40 next year, and Tom Brady, who turns 39. If Brees' shoulder injury is significant, it could be time to move on from the future Hall of Famer.
The hard part is that Brees has done so much for the city of New Orleans, especially after Hurricane Katrina. But in the NFL, you can't pay players for what they have done. You have to pay them for what they will do on the field right now.
New Orleans has lost its three games by a total of 24 points, and the Saints were in each game until the final minutes. It wouldn't be a stretch for things to turn around and for the team to make a playoff run. The Saints will either ride into 2016 for a final chance at a title, or the rebuilding process will continue without Brees and his massive salary.
What Do You Know About the NFL?
by Amber Helsel
If you think you know everything about the NFL, here's some trivia for you.
What team was briefly named the Bay State Patriots?
How many footballs does Wilson make per day for the NFL?
How much does the Super Bowl trophy cost?
In what year during the era of the modern NFL draft was a quarterback not selected in the first two rounds?
How big was the audience for the first televised football game in 1939?
SOURCE: USA TODAY
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Answers: 1. New England Patriots; 2. 4,000; 3. $25,000; 4. 1988; 6. 500