Credit Drew Brees with making a smart move as the New Orleans Saints quarterback said contract talks for the pending free agent have been “tabled” until this season is completed.

Brees doesn’t want his personal situation to become a distraction for a football in the hunt for a first-round bye in the NFC playoffs, and he knows there will be ample time to talk business and dollars when the season is over.

“You know, I didn't want it to become a distraction," Brees said, according to Mike Triplett of the New Orleans Times-Picayune.

Brees came to the decision sometime in the past month and it’s just another shining example of why he’s such a valued leader for the Saints.

“And from the discussions we had, going back and forth, there was no progress really being made. I really wanted to just focus on football. It's been tabled for now ... and just hopefully will resume when the time is right.”

The Saints are going to have to pay big to keep Brees, 32. His deal will certainly have to be in line with what Peyton Manning and Tom Brady are receiving, and how does Brees not top the $80 million, five-year contract given to Michael Vick?

New Orleans has some major number-crunching to do with Brees once the season ends. With any luck for the Saints, that won’t happen until sometime in February.

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Brad Biggs covers the Bears for the Chicago Tribune