The New Orleans Saints have placed the franchise tag on their superstar quarterback, Drew Brees, the team announced Saturday. Brees and the Saints have reportedly been embroiled in an ugly negotiation, one that included GM Mickey Loomis calling the Super Bowl-winner and all-time single-season yardage king "very good, not great."
Players designated as a team's franchisee make the average of the five highest salaries at their position for one year, a number that won't be determined until the end of free agency though, at the moment, it appears to be between $16 million and $17 million for a quarterback, according to the NFL.
With Brees receiving the tag, that means Pro Bowl guard Carl Nicks will become an unrestricted free agent, as will Brees' favorite wide receiver target, Marques Colston.
This news would be met with more, well, anything, were it not for the revelations that the Saints, under former defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, organized a ring of bounties as reward for injuring opposing teams' star players. Serious punishment is expected from the league. Any negotiations with Brees for a long-term deal, which must be reached by a July 15 deadline, might be put on the back burner while the team deals with the fallout.
For all news and information regarding the New Orleans Saints, please visit Canal Street Chronicles. For complete coverage of football free agency, stay tuned to SB Nation's dedicated NFL hub.