The Facts: The Saints were eager to bring back Brees. But they’re not blind to the reality of having a 41-year-old QB. During an appearance on CBS Sports Network, HC Sean Payton was asked if Brees would be on any kind of “pitch count this year, and alluded to the possibility of modifying his practice workload. “I don’t think a pitch count relative to in the regular season games,” Payton said. “The value of each game is such, I think most importantly for us, it’s training camp and even during the work week and modifying maybe even Thursday. So the pitch count for us would be up until the game itself, but it wouldn’t include a regular season game.”

Diehards Line: As PFT suggested, even with five weeks off with a thumb injury last year, there was a noticeable difference in Brees’ arm strength last year. But there’s generally a difference in arm strength for every quarterback as he ages, and that difference becomes more important as seasons go on. That makes limiting Brees’ reps in practice — even on heavy game-planning Thursday as Payton mentioned — a smart thing. There’s a side benefit of getting more work for Taysom Hill (and to a lesser degree Jameis Winston), but the real hope is that “modifying” his midweek work will leave more in his arm for games in January or perhaps February, when they matter most.