Drew Brees

The Miami Dolphins figure to be one of the most aggressive teams in bidding for the services of Peyton Manning, who will be released by Indianapolis on Wednesday morning. In doing so, the Dolphins will be mindful of what happened six years ago when they let a prime opportunity get away. In 2006, the Dolphins were in the market for a quarterback and had a chance to sign Drew Brees, who was coming off a devastating shoulder injury. Brees had been released by San Diego, which had decided to cast its lot with Philip Rivers.

Kobe Bryant is Los Angeles' highest-paid athlete, followed by a couple of Dodgers who fans might say haven't earned their money, in a list compiled annually by Sports Illustrated. Bryant was fourth nationally in rankings that combine estimates for salary, winnings and endorsements this year. Boxing champion Floyd Mayweather was the runaway leader at $90 million, followed by NBA most valuable player LeBron James at $56 million and New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees at $47.8 million.

New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees received headlines Sunday when he broke Johnny Unitas' record by throwing a touchdown pass for the 48th consecutive game during the Saints victory over the San Diego Chargers. But one Hall of Fame quarterback is not impressed. "I'm not into records, fellas. I'm just into winning football games," Terry Bradshaw, who won four Super Bowls with the Pittsburgh Steelers, told WFAN radio in New York. "The Saints hadn't won a game this season. I'm not into records, I'm into winning Super Bowls.

Super Bowl XLVII programming airing Saturday morning through late-night Sunday includes concerts, specials, highlights and a football game. SATURDAY “Best Super Bowl Concert Ever” 11 a.m. Saturday, VH1: Celebrating Super Bowl XLVII in New Orleans; Train performs; appearances by NFL favorites. “Kickoff in New Orleans: A CNN-Bleacher Report Special” 1 p.m. Saturday, CNN: Interviews and profiles that capture the excitement of Super Bowl XLVII. (N) “Star-Spangled Sundays” 1 p.m. Saturday, NBCSP: The NFL transforms the Super Bowl into the biggest entertainment event on the American calendar.

New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees has broken what once was considered an unbreakable NFL record, throwing a touchdown pass in a 48th consecutive game. The pass - a 40-yarder to Devery Henderson in the first quarter - snapped a record Brees shared with Hall of Famer Johnny Unitas. Suspended Saints coaches Sean Payton and Joe Vitt got special permission from the NFL to attend the game. The record-setting touchdown forged a 7-7 tie and capped a five-play, 80-yard drive, all but seven yards of which came in the air. The Saints have had scarce reason to celebrate this season, as they are the NFC's only winless team.

Remember the Drew Brees touchdown streak that everyone was touting earlier this season when he surpassed Johnny Unitas' record for most consecutive games with a touchdown pass? Well, you can forget about it now, because it's over. The New Orleans Saints quarterback had thrown a touchdown pass in 54 consecutive games until Thursday's loss to the Atlanta Falcons, but he can immediately start on a new streak: Most games with at least five passes intercepted. That's how many of Brees' passes were picked off Thursday.

Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints have agreed on a five-year, $100-million contract. "Deal is Done! Love you, Who Dat Nation. See you soon!" Brees tweeted Friday afternoon The agreement was reached Friday morning, according to ESPN.  "I appreciate the diligence and steadfast efforts by both sides to get this deal done," Brees told ESPN. "I love my organization, team and the city of New Orleans. Thank you especially to [owners] Gayle and Tom Benson for the opportunity.

Sean Payton was there on Oct. 18, 2009, when New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees threw for four touchdowns in a 48-27 victory against the New York Giants. No one knew it at the time, but the Saints head coach was witnessing the start of one of the most incredible streaks ever in the NFL. Brees wanted to make sure that Payton, suspended for the season by the league in connection with the Saints' bounty scandal, was in the building 47 games later, when the quarterback was poised to break Johnny Unitas' half-century-old record of 47 consecutive games with a touchdown pass.

Perfection is the destination of choice for the undefeated New Orleans Saints. Turns out, their own quarterback beat them to it. For the first time in his career, Drew Brees recorded a "perfect" passer rating of 158.3 -- against mighty New England, no less -- throwing five touchdown passes to five receivers Monday night in a 38-17 rout at the rocking Superdome. The Saints improved to a club-record 11-0, keeping pace with the Indianapolis Colts as the NFL's only remaining unbeaten teams.

CARLSBAD -- The New Orleans Saints will open their off-season workouts Monday and won't have their head coach. They might not have their star quarterback, either. Asked Tuesday whether he plans to sign his franchise tender so he can be at those workouts, Drew Brees said, "We're continuing to work on a long-term deal. " Asked again whether that means he'll be there Monday, Brees gave an identical answer. Brees was at La Costa Resort and Spa to promote the 2012 Drew Brees Celebrity Championship, a golf tournament that supports the Brees Dream Foundation and benefits several San Diego charities.

Joe Flacco may or may not be an elite NFL quarterback. It's a debate that has picked up in intensity as he has masterfully guided Baltimore through the playoffs and is going to erupt if the Ravens knock off the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XLVII on Sunday. But the fact of the matter is that Flacco has put himself in the position to get paid like an elite quarterback. ESPN's John Clayton says that the soon-to-be unrestricted free agent quarterback likely will seek an annual salary in the neighborhood of $20 million.

Remember the Drew Brees touchdown streak that everyone was touting earlier this season when he surpassed Johnny Unitas' record for most consecutive games with a touchdown pass? Well, you can forget about it now, because it's over. The New Orleans Saints quarterback had thrown a touchdown pass in 54 consecutive games until Thursday's loss to the Atlanta Falcons, but he can immediately start on a new streak: Most games with at least five passes intercepted. That's how many of Brees' passes were picked off Thursday.

The NFL is a passing league. How many times have you heard that? And it's true. Passing games generate the majority of yards for NFL teams. But the spotlight on quarterbacks is not quite as bright this season as it was a year ago, when 10 of them would throw for more than 4,000 yards, and three - Drew Brees, Tom Brady and Matthew Stafford - surpassed 5,000. Brees set the league record with 5,476. To a large extent, the pendulum has swung back to the defensive side of the ball this season, with many of the elite teams near the top of those rankings.

New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees received headlines Sunday when he broke Johnny Unitas' record by throwing a touchdown pass for the 48th consecutive game during the Saints victory over the San Diego Chargers. But one Hall of Fame quarterback is not impressed. "I'm not into records, fellas. I'm just into winning football games," Terry Bradshaw, who won four Super Bowls with the Pittsburgh Steelers, told WFAN radio in New York. "The Saints hadn't won a game this season. I'm not into records, I'm into winning Super Bowls.

Sean Payton was there on Oct. 18, 2009, when New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees threw for four touchdowns in a 48-27 victory against the New York Giants. No one knew it at the time, but the Saints head coach was witnessing the start of one of the most incredible streaks ever in the NFL. Brees wanted to make sure that Payton, suspended for the season by the league in connection with the Saints' bounty scandal, was in the building 47 games later, when the quarterback was poised to break Johnny Unitas' half-century-old record of 47 consecutive games with a touchdown pass.

New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees has broken what once was considered an unbreakable NFL record, throwing a touchdown pass in a 48th consecutive game. The pass - a 40-yarder to Devery Henderson in the first quarter - snapped a record Brees shared with Hall of Famer Johnny Unitas. Suspended Saints coaches Sean Payton and Joe Vitt got special permission from the NFL to attend the game. The record-setting touchdown forged a 7-7 tie and capped a five-play, 80-yard drive, all but seven yards of which came in the air. The Saints have had scarce reason to celebrate this season, as they are the NFC's only winless team.

Marques Clark could not believe what he was hearing. But it really was happening -- the former Division II Henderson State wide receiver who hadn't played organized football since 2006 was being offered a contract by New Orleans Saints General Manager Mickey Loomis. “It was like I didn't really think he was talking to me," Clark said. "It was an out-of-body experience. I thought, 'Did he really just say that?' And he was staring at me like, 'Yeah, we're going to sign you.' " Clark, 28, says he always dreamed of playing in the NFL while at Henderson State, where he had 91 catches for 1,456 yards and 11 touchdowns.

What the Indianapolis Colts' defense needs to concentrate on to stop the New Orleans Saints' offense in the Super Bowl (Feb. 7, 3:15 p.m. PST, Ch. 2): Ice Man Cometh This is Dwight Freeney's stage. The Colts defensive end, who tied for third in the league with 13 1/2 sacks this season, plays big in big games. Saints left tackle Jermon Bushrod got some blocking help Sunday and did a solid job against Minnesota's Jared Allen . The Saints need an encore against one of the NFL's most dangerous whirling-dervish pass rushers.

Redskins rookie quarterback Robert Griffin III can run the football. It's one of the more exciting elements of his game. Sunday, it cost him. On third-and-goal at the three-yard line, about halfway through the third quarter, Griffin rolled right against Atlanta and tried to tuck the ball and run. While he was in the process of being tackled along the sideline, he was drilled in the head by Falcons linebacker Sean Weatherspoon. It was a legal hit because Griffin was technically a runner at the time, although the play was recorded as a sack for a loss of two yards.

Story line: After four single-digit losses, quarterback Drew Brees is desperate for Saints' first victory without suspended Coach Sean Payton. It might help that Brees persuaded the NFL to let Payton and other bounty-gate figures come to the Superdome as the quarterback tries to surpass Johnny Unitas' record of 47 consecutive games with a touchdown pass. There's more motivation for Brees, too, considering he's facing the team that let him walk in favor of Philip Rivers. Chargers said: "A Drew Brees team, with what they've been through, you can't ever count them out of anything.