After last night’s shocking New England Patriots playoff loss to the Tennessee Titans, the biggest story in the sport is Tom Brady’s future with the team. On paper, New Orleans Saints legendary quarterback Drew Brees is in a very similar situation.

Like Brady, Brees is in the twilight of his career, though one could argue that he looked better at 40 this season than Brady did at 42. Brees definitely had better weapons, and both quarterbacks plan to play next year, so that is a moot point for now.

There are indications that Brady may walk away from Bill Belichick and the only team he’s known. Even after he missed a large chunk of the season and Teddy Bridgewater impressed in his absence, Brees plans to be back in New Orleans.

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport had an update on Drew Brees’ future ahead of today’s Wild Card Round game against the Minnesota Vikings.

From @NFLGameDay: #Saints QB Drew Brees is in the final year of his deal. It seems very clear he'll be back in New Orleans, but what if he wins it all this year? pic.twitter.com/K616xWdzIl — Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 5, 2020

Where Brady and the Patriots may actually break up, Rapoport makes things pretty clear: Brees will be back, New Orleans is likely to make it work one way or another, and even if he wins a Super Bowl this year, it doesn’t change the plan.

“Brees is also in the final year of his contract, could potentially be playing his last game with the Saints, right? No, no. We talked to people close to Drew Brees, and they say a couple things. First of all: he wants to remain in New Orleans, and the likelihood is they get together and work something out after the season. “They have done this before, they’ve been in this situation a couple years back. Expect a very short term deal or, the last resort, potentially a franchise tag. “And then of course the question is: what if Brees wins (the Super Bowl)? Would he walk away at 41 years old? I talked to someone close to him a couple days ago, I raised that question. The response I got: well he wants to win two.”

It doesn’t get much better than a quarterback riding out with a Super Bowl, and Brees could always change his mind in that situation, but he’s still playing at a very high level. It’s hard to blame him for wanting to extend things out as far as they’ll go, and further bolster his standing in NFL history.

[Ian Rapoport]