Drew Brees will not be missed by the Carolina Panthers
By Dean Jones
What next for Drew Brees and the Carolina Panthers?
Losing such an iconic figure on and off the field is going to be a body blow for the Saints, even though it looks as if father time has finally caught up with Drew Brees. His significance to the organization and community cannot be understated and it will be strange seeing New Orleans without him in 2021 if he does confirm his retirement.
Although the Saints still boast plenty of talent on both sides of the ball, they will be without their No. 1 quarterback and facing the prospect of some substantial cuts to get under the salary-cap in 2021.
They appear convinced for some unbeknown reason that Taysom Hill can be an NFL starting signal-caller, but his level of production throwing the football leaves plenty of cause for concern. Whether head coach Sean Payton would be willing to gamble on Jameis Winston and offer him a new deal this offseason is another intriguing situation to keep a close eye on.
The Carolina Panthers can capitalize on this uncertainty, providing they make the necessary improvements to their roster over the next couple of years. Head coach Matt Rhule made an encouraging start to life at the next level and with new general manager Scott Fitterer also coming on board, it might see the organization go with a more progressive approach in terms of recruitment moving forward.
Brees will go down as an all-time great. He holds a number of outstanding records, is a 13-time Pro Bowler, and was named first-team All-Pro once. He won the prestigious Walter Payton Man of the Year back in 2006 and transformed the Saints’ fortunes during his time with the franchise.
However, the Panthers and others across the league will be glad to see the back of him, at least from a production point of view.