"Many people could say, 'Oh he had a decline this year,' but I disagree with that," Brees said. "He was banged up for the majority of the year, and I think that's just part of the game at times. I mean the guy has missed one start his entire NFL career, so if you're going to sit here and tell me he's not a durable guy, then you're crazy.

"I think he's still got a lot of motivation. I think he's got a lot of fight and fire left in him. And you know he can still be a very productive player. So I don't see any reason why he should be taking a pay cut at this point."