Drew Brees will not be missed by the Carolina Panthers
By Dean Jones
Drew Brees is set to ride off into the sunset after an exceptional career, which represents good news for the Carolina Panthers.
It appears as if the end of the line has finally arrived for Drew Brees. The accomplished quarterback is set to retire following the New Orleans Saints’ divisional-round playoff loss at home to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, which was a sour way to go out for the legendary quarterback if he does decide to hang up his cleats.
This is good news for the Carolina Panthers. Brees has been a constant thorn in the team’s side since joining the Saints from the Chargers and not having him on the opposite side of the field twice a season is going to be a massive boost for Matt Rhule’s men.
The impending retirement of Brees could see New Orleans embark on a period of transition. They are massively in debt from a salary-cap perspective and some serious sacrifices need to be made in the coming weeks to keep them competitive in 2021.
Getting Brees’ $36.15 million in base salary and bonuses off the books will help.
But this is just a small drop in the ocean for a team that is projected to be over the cap by around $100 million going into the offseason.
The winds may be changing in the NFC South. Brees is calling it a day, Tom Brady might only have one year left and Matt Ryan could be the subject of trade speculation with a new general manager and head coach coming into the Atlanta Falcons this year.
That might present an opportunity for the Panthers to be a little more competitive in the coming years. But they do have some quarterback problems of their own.
Teddy Bridgewater didn’t exactly fill Carolina with confidence regarding his ability to assume the position long-term, which is a real disappointment considering the amount of faith placed in the player following the release of Cam Newton.
As for Brees, the Panthers’ chances should improve if the player rides off into the sunset as expected.