New Orleans Saints

New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees said he's going to work with his wife, Brittany Brees, to "maximize the impact" of their $5 million donation to the state of Louisiana amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Brees told TMZ Sports in an interview released Saturday that the family decided to act because there's "so much need and so many challenges" as a result of the COVID-19 situation.

"It hurts my heart to a great degree to what all Americans are going through, but especially the state of Louisiana," he said. "When you think about [how] small business are the lifeblood of our state and obviously the hospitality industry especially, which has been hit so hard throughout this whole thing."

The Super Bowl XLIV champion added: "We're gonna find a way to get through this together."

Brees also discussed the family's efforts during an appearance Friday on ABC's Good Morning America (via ESPN's Mike Triplett):

"So many people are without so much right now. And I think for Brittany and I, the most important thing was about fulfilling some of their most basic needs and being able to feed their families and to be able to feed those kids of health-care workers who are on the front lines right now and are having to drop their kids off at day care as they go to work to save lives. And we want them to know that their kids are taken care of. We want the seniors to know that they are taken care of."

Brees, 41, was set to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason, but made it clear he had no intention of leaving the Saints, telling WEEI Boston he's "Who Dat Nation for life" prior to the opening of free agency (h/t NFL.com).

The Dallas native went on to sign a two-year contract with New Orleans a day before the official start of free agency to keep him with the franchise through the 2021 NFL season.

New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees and his wife, Brittany, pledged $5,000,000 to the state of Louisiana to help with the coronavirus pandemic.

The future Hall of Famer explained on Instagram how the funds will be allocated:

"After considerable research and conversations with local organizations, we will be mobilizing our partnerships with Second Harvest Food Bank, Ochsner Health Systems, Walk-Ons, Jimmy Johns, Smalls Sliders and Waitr to prepare and deliver over 10,000 meals per day throughout Louisiana for as long as it takes to children on meal programs, seniors, and families in need."

Brees has become an adopted son of Louisiana since signing with the Saints in 2006, and his bond with New Orleans strengthened as the city recovered from Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

Brees echoed that sentiment in a message to reporters in October 2018:

"I love this city. I love this fanbase. I love the Superdome. I love the environment that our fans create on a weekly basis when we play here. There's really no fanbase like it. Obviously, the bond that we share as a team with our fanbase is unlike any other, I think, in all of professional sports. They're just so passionate, and this is as much for them as it is for anybody."

New Orleans has been significantly impacted by the ongoing pandemic.

The city and local businesses count on tourism to generate revenue, money that has all but dried up with orders for people to self-quarantine and avoid large crowds. According to NBC News' Elisha Fieldstadt, the celebration of Carnival and Mardi Gras between January and February may have accelerated the spread of COVID-19.

The Louisiana Department of Health reported 1,795 confirmed cases of the coronavirus and 65 deaths. Orleans Parish accounts for nearly half (827) of the total cases.

Saints head coach Sean Payton confirmed earlier this month he had been diagnosed with COVID-19, the first reported diagnosis in the NFL. Payton said Wednesday on WWL Radio's Sports Talk with Bobby Hebert and Kristian Garic he had been cleared after self-quarantining.  

Taysom Hill has added another responsibility as a versatile playmaker who lines up all over the field.

The New Orleans Saints' primary backup quarterback.

Head coach Sean Payton revealed as much during an interview with WWL Radio (h/t Charean Williams of Pro Football Talk). "He's earned that opportunity," Payton said while clarifying that Hill will still line up at different positions during the 2020 campaign.

While having Hill on special teams and at wide receiver on plays when Drew Brees is quarterback brings the risk of both players suffering injuries in the same game, Payton said the NFC South team will sign another signal-caller to account for such a situation.

Teddy Bridgewater went 5-0 in five starts last season for the Saints when Brees was sidelined by injury, but he joined the Carolina Panthers this offseason.

That clears the way for Hill to return to the position he played in college at BYU in more than just a gadget role for trick plays. Hill is 6-of-13 passing for 119 yards, zero touchdowns and one interception in three years in the NFL but has found the end zone nine times as a receiver or ball-carrier.

In his final season with the Cougars, Hill completed 59.7 percent of his passes for 2,323 yards, 12 touchdowns and 11 interceptions while adding 603 yards and eight touchdowns on the ground as a dual-threat playmaker.

If he does line up under center for New Orleans in a situation where Brees was out, defenses will still have to account for that running ability as they look to slow him down.

New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton, who is the first known person in the NFL to test positive for COVID-19, told WWL Radio (h/t Jeff Duncan of The Athletic) that he has been cleared.

Payton provided an update on WWL Radio's Sports Talk with Bobby Hebert and Kristian Garic:

"I was cleared yesterday. It's been quite a process, and you spend a lot of time trying to learn as much as you can about it. We're certainly seeing it on the news 24/7. 

"But basically a weekend ago, it wasn’t until Sunday night, when I first began to feel some flu-like symptoms. Monday morning, they were certainly a little bit more significant. I had a low-grade fever...and that's when I had my test on Monday and basically quarantined at that point at the house."

ESPN's Adam Schefter broke the news on Payton on Thursday, March 19. Payton then revealed the diagnosis on Twitter later in the day.

"There are hundreds of people right now in tough predicaments, fighting for their lives," Payton told Schefter. "Let's be part of the solution, not the problem. We can easily help reduce the numbers of those impacted. We have to do our best to beat this and I know we can."

Payton then caught up with NBC Sports' Peter King over the following weekend and said he was feeling better.

He still felt weak and stayed in self-quarantine at the time but reiterated the need for the public to react appropriately to the ongoing pandemic.

"Look, I feel well. I'll get better, and we'll go on, and we'll have the draft in some way, shape or form. That's not what's important right now. What's important is our health-care workers, our doctors and nurses, on the front lines of this thing. We've got to take care of them.

"For now, this is our life, and we've got to be prepared for it. Some basic stuff in all of our lives is going to be threatened. We've all got to exercise a little more social responsibility. We all felt invincible at some point in our lives, as young people do now. But think of the person you might be affecting."

Payton also told King that he planned to help a "cause affected by the virus" via his Play It Forward Foundation.

NFL teams, coaches, owners and players have contributed to COVID-19 relief efforts, including Saints owner Gayle Benson, who donated $1 million toward the creation of the Gayle Benson Community Assistance Fund.

News also emerged Wednesday from ESPN's Adam Schefter that the league plans to use the draft to increase relief funds. The draft is scheduled to take place from Thursday, April 23, through Saturday, April 25.

New Orleans Saints general manager Mickey Loomis is in favor of postponing the 2020 NFL draft amid the COVID-19 pandemic. 

During an appearance on The Peter King Podcast (h/t Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio), Loomis said the Saints have been unable to perform their usual predraft preparations and that pushing the draft back would be sensible:

"I'd be personally in favor of delaying the draft, so that we could get some of the work done that our scouts and personnel people ordinarily do. And then just the logistics of trying to conduct the draft with not having access to your draft rooms and your offices creates a lot of logistic problems. This is not a fantasy draft that you conduct out there with just a list of things on a piece of paper. There's a lot of things that go into it to prepare, and there’s a lot of work that is done during the draft."

The NFL announced earlier this month it plans on starting the draft on its originally scheduled date (April 23), albeit in a more limited form: "The NFL is exploring innovative options for how the process will be conducted and will provide that information as it becomes available. The selection process will be televised."

Loomis' comments echo the details of a report from ESPN's Adam Schefter and Dianna Russini.

According to the report, some general managers were worried they'd lack the ability to adequately examine draft prospects. Schefter and Russini also pointed to the differing coronavirus measures being taken across the country, which could allow team personnel to meet in some states but not others.

Schefter appeared on Get Up on Wednesday and floated the idea of holding the draft over the course of a week, with one round on each day:

On March 13, the NFL issued a memo prohibiting team personnel from traveling to events such as pro days or in-person visits, and college players were barred from visiting a team's official facility, per NFL Network's Tom Pelissero.

General managers and scouts had the opportunity to speak with and evaluate players at the NFL Scouting Combine. They also have years' worth of game film to analyze. One could argue there's enough available research with which teams can make an informed decision.

Having said that, the NFL might need to issue further guidelines—particularly pertaining to the structure of the traditional war room—to ensure teams are on equal footing on draft night.

The New Orleans Saints and cornerback Janoris Jenkins reportedly reached an agreement Wednesday on a two-year, $16.75 million contract extension.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported the deal will be added to the remaining season on his previous contract, bringing the total three-year value to $27 million with $10.2 million guaranteed.

Jenkins was claimed off waivers by the Saints in December after he spent nearly the entire 2020 season with the New York Giants. He finished the year with 61 total tackles, 16 passes defended and five interceptions across 15 appearances.

The 31-year-old Florida native added eight tackles, a forced fumble and a half-sack in New Orleans' playoff loss to the Minnesota Vikings. He received a solid 68.8 overall grade from Pro Football Focus.

"That's my plan," Jenkins told reporters at the end of the season when asked about staying with the Saints. "I'd love to see that. Business is business. They control what goes on. I'm just happy to be here and hope I can stay."

In all, he's recorded 467 tackles, 106 passes defended, 23 interceptions and seven touchdowns in 115 regular-season games across eight years with the Saints, Giants and St. Louis Rams.

Jenkins should remain a starter for New Orleans opposite Marshon Lattimore in 2020 with Patrick Robinson handling slot corner, giving the team one of the league's most accomplished groups at the position.

It's one of several elements—led by a star-studded offense with quarterback Drew Brees, wide receiver Michael Thomas and running back Alvin Kamara—that makes the Saints one of the NFL's chief Super Bowl contenders heading into next season.

The New Orleans Saints have agreed to a deal with cornerback Deatrick Nichols, according to his agent Aston Wilson.

Nichols spent the past few months in the XFL, leading the league with three interceptions for the Houston Roughnecks.

He became the second player from the XFL to sign an NFL contract. The first was quarterback P.J. Walker, who agreed to a deal with the Carolina Panthers on Monday, per ESPN's David Newton.

Nichols was a standout at South Florida, totaling 11 interceptions in his final three seasons before trying to make it in the NFL as an undrafted free agent.

Though he signed with the Arizona Cardinals, he mostly spent time in the practice squad before playing two games with the team in 2018. Per Pro Football Reference, he played 11 snaps on special teams and zero on defense.

Despite his limited action as a professional, he was a ninth-round draft pick in the XFL and played well before the league shut down due to the coronavirus.

The 25-year-old totaled 24 tackles and a sack to go with his three picks.

Nichols will try to take advantage of his second chance with the Saints, a team that finished 11th in yards allowed per pass attempt in 2019.

The New Orleans Saints have agreed to a contract with defensive end Noah Spence, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero on Monday afternoon. 

ESPN's Field Yates confirmed that the Saints re-signed Spence.

New Orleans originally signed Spence on Dec. 11 after defensive end Marcus Davenport suffered a season-ending foot injury.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers drafted Spence in the second round (39th overall) of the 2016 NFL draft.

The Eastern Kentucky and Ohio State product appeared in all 16 regular-season games as a rookie, producing a career-high 5.5 sacks, three forced fumbles and 22 tackles (16 solo). However, Spence was limited to six games in 2017 because of a shoulder injury that landed him on injured reserve. He played 12 games (no starts) in 2018 but only contributed three tackles.

The Bucs waived Spence prior to last season.

"Bucs coach Bruce Arians said he was pulling for outside linebacker Noah Spence to make the team's Week 1 roster, especially after seeing his strong work ethics, but ultimately Arians said the decision to cut the former second-round pick came down to a lack of production," Eduardo A. Encina of the Tampa Bay Times wrote on Sept. 3, 2019.

Spence latched on with Washington in mid-September, where he appeared in seven games and notched one sack. The team released him on Nov. 19, freeing him up for the Saints.

Spence did not play for New Orleans to end the 2019 campaign.

Wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders said his grandma's love of the New Orleans Saints and his family's ability to attend his games played a key role in his decision to choose the Saints over the Dallas Cowboys and Houston Texans in free agency.

Katherine Terrell of The Athletic provided Sanders' comments from a conference call with reporters Sunday:

"One of the first people I called was my grandma, because she called me, her and my aunt were on the phone when free agency started, and she said, 'We're praying you go to New Orleans!' The Texans, they had an opportunity and needed a receiver, the Cowboys needed one, but my grandma was talking about New Orleans because she loves that team. She loves Drew Brees, she loves Sean Payton, she loves the offense and she wanted to watch me play. When I called her and told her she was so excited about it ...

"Not only that, she's excited because literally they can drive to the game if they wanted. My family, I don't know how far of a distance it is, but I know last year when (the 49ers played the Saints in New Orleans) I had like 15 family members drive up, so it can't be that long of a drive. So that's pretty cool to be back down South and be close to my family as well."

New Orleans signed Sanders to a two-year, $16 million contract and became his third team since the start of the 2019 season. He opened last year as a member of the Denver Broncos before an October trade to the San Francisco 49ers, who made a run to Super Bowl LIV.

The 33-year-old SMU product recorded 66 receptions for 869 yards and five touchdowns across 17 appearances (10 with San Francisco and seven with Denver) last year. He added five catches for 71 yards during the Niners' three-game playoff run.

Now he's set to join one of the NFL's most star-studded offenses, which includes Brees, running back Alvin Kamara, fellow wide receiver Michael Thomas, tight end Jared Cook and the league's premier X-factor, Taysom Hill.

"Ultimately, the goal is to try to bring a Super Bowl to New Orleans, and that's the reason I signed that deal. I know I've got a great chance of winning another Super Bowl with the New Orleans Saints," Sanders said, per Terrell.

He added: "I don't know how they're going to use me, I haven't even gotten into the details of X's and O's with Sean Payton or Drew Brees. I'm looking forward to knowing how they're going to use me and seeing how it fits. I think, regardless, I'll be a good fit."

Sanders' target volume is likely to drop simply because of the Saints' number of weapons. That said, with opposing defenses forced to focus on Thomas—who set the NFL record with 149 receptions last season—he should make plenty of plays down the field against one-on-one coverage. 

Getting up to speed within the New Orleans offense will have to wait, though. The NFL announced all offseason team workouts have been delayed indefinitely because of the coronavirus pandemic.

With the bulk of free agency now complete, Caesars Palace has the Saints tied for the fifth-best title odds (+1,400) behind only the reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs (+400), 49ers (+700), Baltimore Ravens (+800) and Dallas Cowboys (+1,100).

New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton urged people to follow coronavirus prevention guidelines, led by social distancing, as he remains in self-quarantine after testing positive for COVID-19 last week.

Payton told Peter King of NBC Sports he's "blessed for many reasons," and he's more concerned about others, especially those on the front lines fighting the disease, as he recovers at home:

"Look, I feel well. I'll get better, and we'll go on, and we'll have the draft in some way, shape or form. That's not what's important right now. What's important is our health-care workers, our doctors and nurses, on the front lines of this thing. We've got to take care of them.

"For now, this is our life, and we've got to be prepared for it. Some basic stuff in all of our lives is going to be threatened. We've all got to exercise a little more social responsibility. We all felt invincible at some point in our lives, as young people do now. But think of the person you might be affecting."

Payton said people must also focus on protecting vulnerable members of society by doing their part to slow the spread of COVID-19.

"When all is said and done, a third of every group in the country might get it," he told King. "And we've got to be careful about spreading it, of course. [Saints offensive coordinator] Pete Carmichael has diabetes, so we've got to be careful about him, and everyone really."

The 56-year-old California native has been the Saints head coach since 2006. He's guided New Orleans to a 131-77 record across 13 years and led the organization to a triumph in Super Bowl XLIV.

Meanwhile, the NFL offseason has continued despite the pandemic with free agency getting underway last week.

The league announced the draft would move forward in late April, though any public events in Las Vegas involving fans were canceled. Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times reported planning is now underway to move the event from Vegas to a studio.

Offseason workouts have all been delayed indefinitely because of the coronavirus.