PHILADELPHIA (AP) — NFL Players Association attorney Jeffrey Kessler says an arbitrator expects to rule within a week on arguments presented Wednesday concerning the Saints’ use of the NFL’s franchise tag on quarterback Drew Brees.
Arbitrator Stephen Burbank is handling the matter of how to interpret language in the NFL’s collective bargaining agreement, which requires any club that designates a player as a franchise player for the third time to give that player a 44 percent raise.
Brees, once a franchise tag player with San Diego, has been designated New Orleans’ franchise player in 2012. The QB seeks clarity on whether the raise for third-time franchise players applies to his career, or only his stint with one team.
The ruling could affect Brees’ ongoing efforts to reach a long-term contract with the Saints.
