New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees will not be playing out the final year of his contract without an extension.
According to NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport, Brees has signed a one-year extension to remain with the Saints through the 2017 season. The deal brings his contract value to $44.25 million fully guaranteed over the next two seasons.
#Saints and QB Drew Brees have agreed in principle to a 1-year extension, source said. He gets $44.25M fully guaranteed. over the next 2 yrs
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 7, 2016
It’s a move that was expected to happen after reports surfaced earlier in the week that the two sides were closing in on a deal. It is, however, a mild surprise that the deal only adds one more year to his current contract.
Brees, 37, is coming off a 2015 campaign that saw him tally a league-leading 4,870 yards with 32 touchdowns. It represented the sixth consecutive season that he’s put up 4,500-plus yards and 30-plus touchdowns.
Just 11,000 yards behind Peyton Manning on the all-time list, Brees figures to cross that plateau before the end of his career. He also needs 111 touchdowns to surpass Manning on that list.