Drew Brees Can’t Be Franchise Tagged By Saints After 2017 NFL Season

The New Orleans Saints are heading into a season that could decide the fate of superstar quarterback Drew Brees and the direction of the franchise for the foreseeable future.

Brees is playing in the last year of his contract with the Saints and faces an uncertain future in New Orleans. Of course, Brees is thought highly of in the city which he brought a Super Bowl to, but he isn’t getting any younger at 38. Apparently, Brees can only leave the team in free agency next year with the team unable to franchise tag the veteran gunslinger, via ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Drew Brees, who is heading into the final year of his contract with the New Orleans Saints, has a little-known, rarely used clause in his deal that prohibits the team from using its franchise tag on him, league sources told ESPN.

Brees’ future with the team will likely be determined by how well the Saints play during the 2017 campaign. The team brought in fellow superstar Adrian Peterson to bolster the running game, and that may help New Orleans become a serious threat in the NFC.

If things don’t turn out as planned, the team could decide to head in another direction with rebuilding potentially being the goal. Moving on from Brees and either signing a quarterback in free agency or addressing the need at quarterback through the draft may be the course of action.