To say Drew Brees is needed in New Orleans is quite the understatement. With the bounty related scandals bearing down on the 2009 Super Bowl champions, the Saints will already be without their defensive leader, Johnathan Vilma and their head coach, Sean Payton this coming season.
But while Brees has publicly stated that he would "never sit out a football season" on ESPN'S Outside the Lines, he has been absent from the franchise for the entirety of the offseason thus far. Tomorrow, Brees and Saints brass will meet before an arbitrator to help determine the contractual issue that has led Brees to hold out.
Brees has been franchise tagged twice thus far in his career. He was tagged once as a member of the Chargers and again as a member of the Saints. Brees and the NFLPA feel that if New Orleans chooses to tag him in 2013, then the QB should be paid as if he was franchised all three times by the same club. That total would come to 140% of his scheduled salary.
If the arbitrator rules that Brees is incorrect, than the Saints would owe their QB only 120% of his coming salary should they choose to tag him next year.
Brees threw for 5476 yards in 2011 and racked up 46 passing TDs.
