The New Orleans Saints have signed former New York Giants quarterback Ryan Nassib as a backup option for veteran signal-caller Drew Brees. The Saints announced that they have added Nassib but did not release details of the deal. Nassib will compete with Chase Daniel and Garrett Grayson for the No. 2 quarterback spot behind Brees, who is in the twilight of his career at age 38.
With his late signing, Nassib must work double time in July and August to eclipse both Daniel and Grayson in the depth chart. A fourth-round pick by the Giants in 2013, Nassib was nothing new to competition as he had to battle Curtis Painter and former No.
1 overall pick David Carr for the honor of backing up Eli Manning. As a backup to Manning, Nassib played just five games in his four seasons with the Giants, going 9-for-10 for 128 yards and a touchdown. He was released by the Giants after he suffered an elbow injury in his final season.
The Saints earlier boosted their offense with the addition of veteran running back Adrian Peterson and wide receiver Ted Ginn. New Orleans also added defensive end Alex Okafor and linebackers A.J. Klein and Manti Te'o in the offseason.
Nassib’s NFL career never took off despite successful stint at Syracuse
Nassib enjoyed an outstanding collegiate career at Syracuse under current Jaguars head coach Doug Marrone.
In his four-year stint with the Orange, Nassib ended his college career as their all-time leader in passing yards, with 3,749 yards and 26 touchdowns. However, his success in the collegiate level never translated to a prominent role in the NFL.
Brees one of the richest athletes in the world
According to the 2017 list of 100 highest-paid athletes released by Forbes Magazine, Brees placed No.
11 with a total earning of $45.3 million last year. The veteran quarterback earned $31.3 million from his contract with the Saints and $14 million in endorsements. Before the 2016 season, Brees signed a contract extension which included a $30 million signing bonus. A nine-time Pro Bowler and a Super Bowl champion, Brees has played 16 seasons with the San Diego Chargers and the Saints.
After five seasons with the Chargers, he signed a six-year, $60-million deal with the Saints in 2006. In 2012, he signed a five-year, $100 million deal to remain with New Orleans. In 2015, he converted $5.2 million of his 2015 salary into a bonus, giving the Saints an additional $2.6 million in cap space. Before last season, he signed a one-year contract extension worth $24.25 million, with a signing bonus of $30 million.
