NEW ORLEANS (AP) — An arbitrator in Philadelphia has ruled with Drew Brees in a dispute over how much the Saints would have to pay him if they applied the franchise tag to the star quarterback again in 2013.
The Saints have already used the tag on Brees for 2012, meaning he can’t negotiate with another team and could be forced to settle for a one-year, $16.3 million deal if he cannot reach a new long-term deal by July 16.
Arbitrator Stephen Burbank’s ruling Tuesday says if New Orleans tries to tag Brees a second year in a row, he would be entitled to a 44 percent raise to more than $23 million because it would be his third-career franchise tag. The NFL had argued he’d be due a 20 percent raise.
