Saints belong to Brees

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Officially Tom Benson owns and runs the New Orleans Saints.

Unofficially it's Drew Brees' team.

Three years after Mickey Loomis and Sean Payton made the prescient decision to sign Brees, he clearly has become more than just a franchise quarterback. He's the franchise.

Loomis and Payton call the shots. Benson signs the checks. But Brees is the face and force of the organization. No Saint in the 43-year history of the franchise has brokered more power.

In fact, Brees arguably wields more clout than any player in today's NFL, perhaps as much as any athlete in American professional sports.


"I know that I'm in a great situation with a great organization, with a general manager and a coach that genuinely care for the players that are here, " Brees said. " . . . I know that they have as much confidence in me as I have in myself. I don't have to look over my shoulder or to worry, like the situation in San Diego, where it seemed like I was always having to prove myself."

Brees long ago won the trust of his head coach and general manager. Over the years, he's developed a unique relationship with both men. He's comfortable walking into their offices to voice a concern about the team's practice schedule or socializing with both men over dinner or on the golf course.

In return, Loomis and Payton seek his counsel on a variety of subjects, from gauging locker-room attitudes to potential free-agent signings.

Payton said Brees is equipped to handle the role better than any player he's coached.

"No question, " Payton said. "He's earned it. If you looked at what Tom Brady provides for New England or what Peyton Manning provides for Indianapolis, I think you would describe that very same role of what Brees provides for us. There's no question he can handle it. . . . He's rare."


It's why they elected him as their NFL Players Association representative and why players routinely use him as a go-between to Payton and the coaching staff.

"He's a team-first guy, " wide receiver Marques Colston said. "Any time you have a leader like that, you don't mind putting everything in his hands. We know he's going to lead us in the right direction."

He attacks practice, workouts and film study with the same intensity he brings to games. His commitment is transferred to his teammates, undoubtedly contributing to the unprecedented high participation rate in the Saints' offseason conditioning program.

"If Drew tells you to stay after practice, you're going to have to do it, " running back Pierre Thomas said.


"I would assume that Peyton (Manning) would have that same influence, " Brees said. "(My teammates and coaches) understand how much I want to win, how much I want a championship for this team. It's never about anything personal with me. It's all about this team's success."

Brees will earn $10 million in each of the next two seasons. That's not chump change, but it's below the going rate for elite NFL quarterbacks.


Considering his influence and impact, you could argue Brees, while being the highest paid player on the roster, is simultaneously the most underpaid. The franchise, after all, has an estimated worth of $937 million, according to Forbes Magazine.

"When it's all said and done, as a head coach, as a quarterback for the team, the only thing that people look at are wins and losses, and championships, " he said. "You can give me the Dan Marino and Dan Fouts talk all you want -- hey, these guys were great quarterbacks and never won a championship. . . . The fact is, in the end (winning championships) is the way that you're evaluated. I'll never be satisfied. Even if we win this year, it's always about the next one, the next one, the next one. You try to play this game as along as you can, try to win as many games as you can, the championships. Then at the end you can take a deep breath and try to reflect on everything. Right now, we still have a lot to accomplish."

Clearly, the Saints franchise has never been in better hands.

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