4 things that need to happen before Teddy Bridgewater joins Saints
By Dean Jones
Drew Brees needs to retire
This entire scenario won’t play out if Drew Brees doesn’t announce his retirement this offseason. All signs point to the legendary signal-caller finally hanging up his cleats following the New Orleans Saints’ latest playoff failure, but considering he has yet to make any decision official, it does pose some questions as to whether the veteran is contemplating one more run.
Brees doesn’t owe the Saints anything. But another season of regression might just tarnish his legacy more than if he walked away in the coming weeks.
The Saints recently converted all of Brees’ base salary into a signing bonus, which would leave him playing on the veterans’ minimum if he did come back. New Orleans would be up against it even more financially if the future Pro Football Hall of Famer did return, which will no doubt play into his thoughts before making a final decision.
There will be life after football for Brees, who is set to head into the TV studio at the earliest possible opportunity. For the Saints, the sooner they get an answer, the better, and bringing in Teddy Bridgewater would give them someone familiar with the scheme that went 5-0 when their No. 1 option was forced to miss time in 2019.
Bridgewater is still much-loved within the Saints organization, but the first domino to drop regarding a potential return would be Brees calling it a day.