AP

Saints quarterback Drew Brees says he’s engaged in contract talks that he hopes will keep him in New Orleans for many more years.

“It’s a negotiation. There’s always back and forth. I’ve got a very strong relationship with the Saints,” Brees said on ESPN Radio in New Orleans, via Jeff Duncan of NOLA.com. “Talks are ongoing. I don’t know that it’s something that will be done next week or before the end of the year or next year or when.”

The 37-year-old Brees says he’s physically able to do everything he could do as a rookie and believes he’ll continue to play for many more years.

“I want to be a Saint for the rest of my career. I think I’ve got a lot of good years left,” Brees said.

Brees is heading into the final year of his contract and has a cap hit of a whopping $30 million this season. The Saints would love to work out an extension that lowers that cap hit this year and keeps Brees under contract for a few more years. But if Brees and the Saints can’t come to an agreement, Brees would be an unrestricted free agent a year from now, and the Saints wouldn’t be able to use the franchise tag on him. So Brees has a lot of leverage in contract talks, and if the Saints don’t meet his demands, maybe some other team will in 2017.