Twenty years ago this month, the New Orleans Saints made a move that changed the NFL. On March 14, 2006, they signed Drew Brees to a six-year, $60 million deal. It was a massive risk; Brees was coming off major shoulder surgery, and the Miami Dolphins had already passed on him. But the New Orleans Saints didn’t.
They celebrated the 20th anniversary of that signing this week with a tribute. The team specifically credited head coach Sean Payton and GM Mickey Loomis for making the deal happen. That shout-out caught the eye of a prominent ESPN insider.
Adam Schefter reacts to Saints’ Drew Brees 20-year anniversary post
When the Saints’ official account posted the anniversary tribute with the caption“20 years ago today, the Saints signed Drew Brees,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter quote-tweeted it with three simple words.
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Feb 5, 2026; San Franciso, CA, USA; Drew Brees during a press conference introducing the NFL Hall of Fame Class of 2026 at Palace of Fine Arts. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
The classic Schefterpenned, “Worked out ok….”
Calling that era “ok” is like calling the Saints’ 2009 championship run “decent.” Between 2006 and 2020, Brees didn’t just play well. Rather, he completely rebuilt the franchise, leading them to nine playoff trips and a Super Bowl win.
Worked out ok…. https://t.co/lluK68yqfw
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 14, 2026
Brees’ signing seems even more incredible when you look at the backstory. He chose New Orleans over Miami because the Saints offered more guaranteed money and, more importantly, they believed in his recovery.
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Just to recap, Miami’s doctors weren’t convinced, giving him just a 25% chance to play again. The Dolphins traded for Daunte Culpepper instead, and the rest is history. And Schefter’s throwaway remark has since turned viral.
Fans throw Saints under the bus over endless cap failure
The replies were exactly what one’d expect from an NFL community about a dynasty quarterback and a franchise with a complicated financial history.
One fanwrote, “Their cap is a big issue and they only have one ring to show for it. Not sure about that.”
Anothernoted, “Next year their cap will finally be great.”
A thirdadded, “He even helped them cheat enough to get a Super Bowl.”
The fourth onepenned, “Salary cap management is as important as talent. One ring alone can’t cover bad contracts.”
A fifth oneremarked, “Their cap is huge, and one ring doesn’t justify it. Risk vs reward.”
For years, they’ve restructured contracts to keep Drew Brees, creating a massive “dead money” problem. This year alone, they’re paying $108 million, nearly 40% of their budget, for players who aren’t even on the team.
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However, the team is finally seeing a way out. With the 2026 cap rising to $301.2 million, they have managed to get about $11 million under the limit by reworking deals for players like Alvin Kamara and Chase Young.
Best part? They’re projected to have $130 million in cap space by 2027, ranking them 9th in the league. After twenty years and one Super Bowl, the “cap hell” era is finally ending. As Schefter said, it worked out fine.