New Orleans Saints

Drew Brees' trainer, Todd Durkin, posted video of the New Orleans Saints quarterback vigorously working out Saturday on Instagram.

NFL reporter Dov Kleiman tweeted out the video:

In the video, Brees pushes a weighted sled a lengthy distance, and at one point during the workout, Durkin said, "Something must be brewing."

Prior to the Saints' 30-20 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC Divisional Round last season, Jay Glazer of Fox Sports reported that Brees would retire at the conclusion of the campaign:

Several other reporters followed suit, which created the narrative that there was essentially no chance of a 2021 return for Brees.

The quarterback has not announced his retirement, though, and has opted to take time before making a decision.

The 42-year-old is a 20-year NFL veteran who ranks first all-time in passing yardage and second in passing touchdowns. He is also a one-time Super Bowl winner, so while he has little left to prove, a second Super Bowl ring has long eluded him.

Last season, Brees went 9-3 in 12 starts, completing 70.5 percent of his passes for 2,942 yards, 24 touchdowns and six interceptions, proving he still has plenty left.

The Saints figure to be one of the top teams in the NFC again next season, but their quarterback situation without Brees would be uncertain, as it would likely come down to either Taysom Hill or soon-to-be-free-agent Jameis Winston.

Brees has an NBC Sunday Night Football contract as a commentator waiting for him once he retires, but it's possible the allure of chasing one more ring could bring him back for a 21st season.

New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara isn't concerned that Drew Brees has yet to make an official decision about his NFL future. 

Appearing on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (h/t Sports Illustrated's John Hendrix), Kamara said Brees is "going to take his time and make the best decision for him."

The expectation since the season ended is that Brees will retire, though he has yet to comment on it.

Prior to New Orleans' playoff game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Jan. 17, Jay Glazer of Fox Sports reported that Brees was preparing to hang up his cleats.

"Tonight will be the last game he plays at the Superdome," Glazer said. "And whenever his last game is, if they lose tonight, if they lose next week, that will be the last game he plays in the NFL. Drew Brees will be done."

Saints head coach Sean Payton told Will Brinson of the Pick Six Podcast that aired Feb. 3 he was expecting an official announcement from Brees "in the next week or two."

Brees and the Saints renegotiated his contract to clear up nearly $24 million in cap space for 2021. NFL Network's Tom Pelissero added the 13-time Pro Bowler's new deal will pay him the league minimum and allows the Saints to "to carry him on the roster past June 1 and drastically reduce his 2021 cap hit presuming he retires."

Brees, 42, has played 20 seasons in the NFL between the Saints and San Diego Chargers. He has missed nine games combined over the past two years because of injuries but has remained an effective and efficient passer.

In 12 games last season, Brees completed 70.5 percent of his passes for 2,942 yards with 24 touchdowns and six interceptions.

New Orleans Saints star Alvin Kamara is partnering with JD Motorsports with Gary Keller to sponsor Ryan Vargas for the Super Start Batteries 188 in the Xfinity Series. 

JD Motorsports shared a statement from Kamara:

"When this opportunity presented itself, I knew I couldn't let it slip by! I did a bit of research on Ryan as an individual and JD Motorsports and was impressed with what I read. I'm excited to play a small role in what they already have going on. In the same breath, I'm just as excited for the opportunity that this gives The Big Squeezy. With us gearing up for franchising our new express concept in 2021, I think this gives us an avenue to express our passion for serving healthy fresh foods and juices throughout the country!"

The Big Squeezy is a chain of juice bars Kamara co-owns in Louisiana. Vargas shared what his No. 6 car will look like with the company's branding for Saturday's race:

Vargas posted a tweet Monday explaining he didn't have a primary sponsor for the next event on the Xfinity Series schedule. Upon learning of the opportunity, Kamara signaled his interest:

JD Motorsports said the deal was finalized that same night.

This is Vargas' first full season on the circuit, having made 12 appearances across 2019 and 2020. The 20-year-old finished 18th in the first race at Dayton International Speedway last Saturday.

Kamara, meanwhile, is a four-time Pro Bowler for the Saints. He began showing his NASCAR fandom last season, throwing his support behind Bubba Wallace after Wallace became outspoken on issues of social justice.

Even though Jameis Winston fell behind Taysom Hill in the pecking order last season, the free-agent quarterback is reportedly considering a return to the New Orleans Saints, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported on SportsCenter on Sunday.

Fowler noted the Saints have an interest in re-signing him and that Winston is "intrigued by that."

"I do expect some productive dialogue between the Saints and Winston for him to potentially come back and play alongside Taysom Hill," Fowler reported.

After spending five seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as a starting quarterback, Winston took a back seat to Drew Brees in 2020 with the Saints. He remained a backup even when Brees suffered a rib injury, as Hill started four games.

The Saints are now preparing for the future at the position with Brees expected to retire this offseason.

Despite the limited playing time, New Orleans coach Sean Payton gave high praise to the quarterback recently on NFL Network's Good Morning Football (via Kevin Patra of NFL.com):

"We had a great exposure for one year with Jameis Winston. We didn't have a normal offseason, but we had enough time to see what we had with him as a player, as a leader, as an athlete. I really like what we had a chance to see. He was a tremendous leader for this team, and that's hard to do when you come in new in free agency your first year as a backup quarterback. So that'll be an important checkmark for us."

Winston went 7-of-11 for 75 yards during limited action in the regular season but showcased his upside throwing a 56-yard touchdown pass in the playoffs.

The 27-year-old showed his positives and negatives as a starter in 2019, leading the NFL with 5,109 passing yards to go with 33 touchdown passes but also throwing a league-high 30 interceptions. Tampa Bay went 7-9 with Winston at the helm one year before Tom Brady led the squad to a Super Bowl title.

Considering the 2015 No. 1 overall draft pick only managed a one-year, $1.1 million contract last offseason, it could be difficult for him to find a better deal after minimal playing time in 2020.

It could lead Winston back to New Orleans where he can try to win the starting job from Hill.

Jameis Winston is reportedly in the "driver's seat" to take over as the New Orleans Saints' starting quarterback for 2021 following the expected retirement of Drew Brees.

Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network reported Sunday the Saints "really liked" how Winston performed during practice this past season, giving him the inside edge over Taysom Hill:

New Orleans caused a stir in November when it elevated Hill to the starting role instead of Winston, who'd been serving as the chief reserve while the BYU product filled his usual multifaceted role within the team's offense, after Brees suffered fractured ribs and a collapsed lung.

Hill performed well across four starts. He completed 82 of his 114 throws (71.9 percent) for 834 yards with four touchdowns and two interceptions. He added 209 rushing yards and four scores on the ground while leading the Saints to a 3-1 record.

The Idaho native also reiterated his desire to become a full-time quarterback in the future.

"Coach [Sean Payton] and I have had—we've had a few conversations about that," Hill told Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk in December. "And I have said that. He knows how I feel about how I can play and I know how he feels about me, too."

Winston only threw 11 passes during the regular season but he was called on for one play in the Saints' Divisional Round loss to the NFC champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers, delivering a 56-yard touchdown throw to Tre'Quan Smith that gave New Orleans the lead in the second quarter.

The team will have to re-sign the former Bucs starter if they're going to move him atop the depth chart. He played the 2020 season under a one-year, $1.1 million contract.

If Brees does confirm his retirement—Payton told Will Brinson of the Pick Six Podcast he expects a decision in the next few weeks—the Saints will likely hope next season features a full training camp and preseason slate for the coaching staff to fully evaluate the quarterback competition.

Along with Winston, 27, and Hill, it wouldn't be a surprise to see the team bring in a rookie through the draft with an eye toward the future.

The NFL is looking into additional violations of the COVID-19 health and safety protocols by the New Orleans Saints, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport on Saturday.

The NFL obtained a video showing Alvin Kamara interacting with a person who isn't employed by New Orleans at the team facility. The person in question later tested positive for COVID-19.

Jeff Duncan of The Athletic reported Kamara created more problems when it came to contact tracing by his refusal to wear the mandated contact tracing device.

Pelissero and Rapoport wrote the punishment levied by the league "is likely to be the biggest yet" because this represents the Saints' third violation.

Kamara missed a Week 17 win over the Carolina Panthers after the team placed him on the reserve/COVID-19 list. Fellow running backs Latavius Murray and Dwayne Washington and fullback Michael Burton were subsequently placed on the list as well.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported in September the NFL fined Saints head coach Sean Payton $100,000 for failing to properly follow mask guidelines on the sideline. The Saints were docked $250,000 too.

New Orleans received a $500,000 fine and forfeited a seventh-round draft pick in November after players celebrated a Week 9 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers while maskless. The franchise had also staged a meeting in which the participants weren't properly masked.

Pelissero and Rapoport wrote the Saints could lose more draft picks as a result of the NFL's latest investigation.

Drew Brees has not committed to returning to the New Orleans Saints for his 21st NFL season, but he provided the franchise with plenty of salary-cap relief should he choose to keep playing.

According to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, Brees restructured his contract to receive the minimum base salary in 2021, creating nearly $24 million in cap space ahead of free agency.

A team that's been a Super Bowl contender for four straight years now, the Saints could use that money to add the depth and skill that would help them win the NFC for the first time since 2009.

Brees' contract renegotiation came just two days after head coach Sean Payton expressed hope the team would re-sign backup quarterback Jameis Winston.

"A lot of times you want to hold your cards closer to the vest [with a] free agent," Payton told NFL Network's Good Morning Football. "But him along with Taysom Hill, we've said it all along, we're gonna develop and coach those guys. And Jameis is one of those guys that we have a big interest in."

Of course, both Winston and Hill would once again take a backseat to Brees should the longtime Saints starter return.

In 12 games last year, Brees passed for 2,942 yards and 24 touchdowns with just six interceptions. His passer rating (106.4) reached 101.0 for the sixth consecutive season, and his sack rate ranked second in the league at 3.2 percent.

Brees also went 9-3 as a starter and had his team one win away from the NFC Championship Game.

Even as he contemplates his future in the NFL, Brees is finding ways to be a team player.

The New Orleans Saints would apparently have a lot of teams banging down their door if they ever made Taysom Hill available in a trade. 

That's at least the opinion of Saints head coach Sean Payton. Payton told The Ringer's Kevin Clark that every other franchise in the league would be interested in Hill's services in his view:

Until New Orleans signals a willingness to move Hill, it's impossible to prove or disprove Payton's opinion. The 30-year-old would probably have a wide market for the reasons Payton outlined, though.

There aren't many players who can genuinely be termed a triple threat. During the 2020 season, Hill finished with 555 yards from scrimmage and nine touchdowns while passing for 928 yards, four touchdowns and two interceptions.

The tougher answer to pin down is how Hill would be valued by other teams.

With Drew Brees out injured, New Orleans rolled with him over Jameis Winston to mixed results. Two of his appearances came against the Atlanta Falcons, who allowed the most passing yards (293.6 per game). He also finished 9-of-16 for 78 yards and an interception in Week 12 against the Denver Broncos.

It didn't take long for opposing teams to catch up to Lamar Jackson a bit. Imagine what they would be able to do with more time to scout Hill.

The Athletic's Larry Holder spoke to Daniel Jeremiah of NFL Network, who called Hill "more of a complementary player than a replacement guy" as the Saints ponder a possible future without Brees. Holder went on to write Jameis Winston looks like the favorite to succeed Brees.

In general, Payton's perception of Hill may not match the reality of the situation.

The New Orleans Saints are expecting to learn about Drew Brees' plans in the near future. 

Appearing on the Pick Six Podcast with CBS Sports' Will Brinson on Wednesday, Saints head coach Sean Payton said he believes Brees will make an announcement "in the next week or two."

Brees' future has been the subject of speculation since New Orleans' season ended with a 30-20 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC Divisional Round. 

Jay Glazer of Fox Sports reported before the Bucs-Saints game that Brees is planning to retire. 

New Orleans signed Brees to a two-year, $50 million contract in March 2020. The deal includes dead-cap hits of $22.65 million in 2021 and $11.5 million in 2022, per Spotrac. 

Even though Brees accepted a multiyear offer from the Saints last offseason, he also started to make plans for his post-playing career.

Andrew Marchand of the New York Post reported last April that the 13-time Pro Bowler was signing a contract with NBC Sports to serve as a television analyst whenever he retires. 

Marchand noted Brees will likely begin his broadcasting career as a game analyst for Notre Dame football and a studio analyst on Football Night in America, with the goal of having him replace Cris Collinsworth as the analyst on Sunday Night Football. 

Brees has spent the past 15 seasons with the Saints after starting his NFL career with the San Diego Chargers. The 42-year-old led New Orleans to its first Super Bowl victory after the 2009 season and is the NFL's all-time leader with 80,358 passing yards and 7,142 completions.