BURBANK, Calif. – Saints quarterback Drew Brees hasn’t changed his view: he still sees himself retiring in New Orleans.
Entering the final year of his current deal and contract talks “ongoing”, Brees remains confident that an extension will work itself out.
"I’ve been through that a few times, so you know that (the contract extension) will happen when it’s supposed to happen," Brees said during a break in a Campbell's Chunky Soup commercial shoot on Tuesday. "There’s so much that goes into an offseason -- you’re signing free agents, you’re signing rookies, you’re going through the draft process. Now as we get ready for training camp, I obviously, I see myself in New Orleans for the rest of my career."
In regards to the length of the contract, Brees, 37, said that’s not important to him.
"I feel like I’ve got quite a few good years left," Brees said. "I got one year left on the contract, but whether you have a one-year contract or a five-year contract, you’ve still got to prove it every year ... even if you’re locked into a long-term deal, they can get rid of you at any time, so that’s my mindset."
Brees added that while he would like to have his contract sorted out before this season begins -- the last on his five-year, $100 million extension – and has said in the past he won’t negotiate once it starts.
Either way, he promises it won't affect his play on the field.
"Once the season rolls around, I just want to focus on football. And I handled it that way back in 2011 -- the exact same way," Brees said. "So I plan on handling it the exact same way this time around."
