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Payton: Drew Brees has shown no signs of decline

Chuck Cook / USA TODAY Sports

With Peyton Manning retired, New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees enters the 2016 season with the distinction of being the league's active leader in pass attempts (8,085) and the second oldest starting quarterback behind only Tom Brady.

Because of his age and the unprecedented workload that's been placed upon his shoulder throughout his career, many have began to look for the inevitable signs of decline in the 37-year-old's game.

The man best placed to make that judgment is likely his head coach, Sean Payton, who has spent the last decade watching every snap Brees has taken. During an appearance Monday on NFL Network, Payton said he believes his franchise passer has yet to show any discernible dip in performance.

"At the stage he is in his career, it's a question that gets asked a lot," Payton said, according to Nick Shook of NFL.com. "I have not seen - there's not a rep, a play where I've noticed something different.

"I think it's a credit to, look, we know how he trains, his diet, everything in his day to prepare to play well at that position. I think it's really changed, we've seen a change and we're talking about a Manning or a Brady, a number of these guys at that position can play longer. I don't want to put a number on it because I have not seen the beginning or a tick down at all."

The Saints haven't made the playoffs since 2013, but that's little fault of Brees, whose numbers remain among the league's best.

In 2015, Brees was second in completion percentage (68.3), first in yards (4,870), tied for seventh in touchdowns (32), and managed to cut his interceptions down to 11 from 17 the previous season.

However, as we saw with Manning last season, Father Time is undefeated. The Saints and Payton likely only have a few seasons of prime Brees left to capture a second championship in franchise history.

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