Saints prolong their golden era the only way they know

Prior to Drew Brees' arrival in 2006, the New Orleans Saints were among the most laughable organizations in the NFL.

Through 38 seasons, the Saints had produced just five postseason appearances, one playoff win, three individual awards, and generations of fans who preferred to watch games with bags over their heads. That changed with Brees.

In an era where passing yardage has reached unprecedented heights, the man nicknamed "Breesus" has led his team to top-three passing offenses in all ten seasons with the Saints. Along with coach Sean Payton, New Orleans has enjoyed unprecedented success under Brees.

*Brees has missed two starts in his Saints career, both losses

Players like Ricky Williams, Archie Manning, and Rickey Jackson had previously become league-known names in New Orleans, but none provided the legitimacy that Brees has commanded, along with hope, excitement, and attention for the franchise and its fans.

As a result, the Saints have done everything in their power to keep their future Hall of Famer around, regularly jeopardizing the rest of their salary-cap situation.

With Brees' contract expiring at the end of the 2016 season, general manager Mickey Loomis did it again Wednesday. The Saints signed their quarterback to a unique extension that keeps him in New Orleans through 2017, but carries money for three more years.

At 37 years old, Brees has indicated a desire to play past the 2017 season. It's tough to imagine the front office changing their stance toward the city's most beloved player in two years, meaning the contract will likely need to be re-worked to keep Brees a Saint.

Related: Report: Saints, Brees reach $44.25M, 2-year guaranteed extension

While Tom Brady took a salary cut to accommodate his team's chances of winning and the Indianapolis Colts let Peyton Manning walk in 2012 to try and reach their championship goals, the Saints have instead leaned hard on Brees to deliver the goods.

Why? Because it's the only way they know.

The NFL has proven - in most cases - that while it takes more than a quarterback to win, you better have a star under center if you want to win with offense. The Saints have favored the latter half of that rule, while hoping for the best everywhere else.

Providing Brees with weapons has never been a priority for the Saints front office. He's worked with a few stars here and there, but Brees' ability to get the best out of his targets has taken the pressure off Loomis to attract big names.

Tight end Jimmy Graham, receiver Marques Colston, running back Darren Sproles, receiver Lance Moore, tight end Ben Watson, and running back Pierre Thomas are among the player who've seen their production skyrocket due to Brees. With the exception of Reggie Bush, every Saints target has enjoyed more career success with him than without.

Even in the Saints sole Super Bowl season, nothing special was done to ensure a successful campaign. The biggest difference was a defense that found a way to create turnovers - which may or may not have been aided by an illegal bounty program.

Whether the Saints actually believe that Brees and a few lucky breaks is enough for another title run is unknown, but its what they're going with. After decades of nothing but disappointment, New Orleans is happy to hold onto their aging golden boy and peddle the same old slogan:

As long as we have Brees, we have a chance - and even if we don't, it's better than before.