The Facts: Brees says he's "not stressing" about a recent lack of progress on a possible contract extension with New Orleans and said he'll approach this season the same way whether he gets a new deal or not. Brees, who has been participating in offseason practices this week, said Wednesday night that holding out is "not even a consideration."

Diehards Line: Brees said there haven't been any contract talks for nearly two months. "All those discussions will take place again. If they don't, they don't," Brees said. "I'll play the season with the same approach that I would play whether we had a long term deal or not." The last time Brees went into the final season of a contract, he played through it without a new deal. That was 2011, which turned out to be his most prolific season; he passed for a then-NFL record 5,476 yards. He then held out until July 2012, when he signed a five-year, $100 million extension that expires after the 2016 season. Last season, Brees led the NFL in yards passing with 4,870. This season, his contract will count about $30 million against New Orleans' salary cap. An extension could help the Saints reduce Brees' cap burden this season by spreading out what the franchise QB is owed, but with most high-profile free agents already signed this offseason, it appears the Saints are prepared to move ahead with Brees' current cap burden if they cannot reach an agreement this summer. Brees said he'll remain interested in resuming negotiations until around the time the regular season begins. ... Stay tuned.