Who knows what next season is going to bring, but the Saints will owe Reggie Bush $11.8 in base salary, and that’s pretty steep for a utility running back. — Fox Sports

A Democratic state senator sent a letter to New Orleans Saints owner Tom Benson last week urging a resolution to the stalemate that could lead to a lockout of National Football League players when the current collective-bargaining agreement between players and team owners expires in early March. “Louisiana taxpayers have invested millions of their hard-earned dollars in the Saints organization, and Saints fans have been loyal for decades,” said Sen. Eric LaFleur, D-Ville Platte. “They deserve earnest negotiations and a resolution of this matter as soon as possible.” — New Orleans Times-Picayune

The New Orleans Saints chain crew member who suffered an alarmingly brutal blow from a player running out of bounds in the Superdome on Oct. 24 has left the hospital and continues an encouraging recovery at home, his son said. Al Nastasi Jr. left Ochsner Regional Medical Center on Nov. 5, said Al Nastasi III. He is recovering at his Mandeville home as he awaits follow-up appointments with doctors. “He’s just at home, getting back to the basics of life,” said the younger Nastasi. “He’s definitely getting back into all his old routines.” His son said the longtime Saints chain crew member, who also coaches track at East Jefferson High School in Metairie and teaches physical education at Joshua Butler Elementary School in Westwego, remains interested in resuming his job of marking yardage for the officiating crew during Saints games, a role he has filled for three decades.
Special teams member Courtney Roby plowed into Nastasi, 68, during a game against the Cleveland Browns in a shocking collision that delayed the game for several minutes as a medical team carted Nastasi off the field on a stretcher. — New Orleans Times-Picayune

New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees was asked about his own situation. Brees is under contract through the 2011 season, though the threat of a labor dispute between the owners and players could complicate things after this season. “It’s not an issue during the season,” Brees said. “It’s not on my radar. I’m just thinking about winning games. But obviously when the time comes, we’ll definitely be talking.” — New Orleans Times Picayune

New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees laughed off the local radio report that his knee injury is more serious than he and the team are letting on. He even did a few jumping jacks in front of his locker as a demonstration. Brees said he had just drop-kicked a 40-yard field goal at the end of practice, something he does often. And he poked fun at the report by WIST radio’s Kenny Wilkerson by saying, “I’m a hundred million billion trillion percent sure it would hurt if I tried to drop-kick a football with a broken knee.” — New Orleans Times-Picayune

With questions about New Orleans Saints running back Pierre Thomas’ relationship with Coach Sean Payton swirling since Sunday, Thomas’ agent said Monday the notion Thomas isn’t champing at the bit to return to action is absurd. Lamont Smith said he has no inside information about whether Thomas and Payton are at odds, as was reported Sunday on Fox Sports. He characterized the whole matter as an unwelcome and counter-productive diversion from the Saints necessary focus on football. “He’s too good a kid to let that be stated,” Smith said. “I don’t understand how anyone could say – when you consider where this kid is from, when you consider he’s played in the past with cracked ribs – I don’t know how anyone could even think if he could be out on the field he wouldn’t be out there.” — New Orleans Times-Picayune

When the Saints return to the practice field on Wednesday to begin preparation for Sunday’s game against the Cleveland Browns, safety Darren Sharper and linebacker Clint Ingram are expected to make their first appearance in team drills. Both players have spent the entire preseason and regular season on the physically unable to perform list, keeping them from participating in practices with the remainder of the team. Saints Coach Sean Payton said he and the team’s medical personnel will keep a close eye on how both players respond to the heavier work load. Sharper and Ingram, who was signed during the offseason, both had microfracture procedures performed on their knees this offseason. — New Orleans Times-Picayune

Saints tailback Reggie Bush said he doesn’t know yet when he’ll return to the practice field after suffering a broken fibula three weeks ago at San Francisco. He said he’s been “making huge leaps” every day in his recovery while running on the treadmill and in the pool and working on the exercise bike. But he hasn’t begun running on grass or making football moves yet. Bush said he’d love to be back in time for the Week 7 home date with Cleveland or the high-profile Sunday night game against Pittsburgh in Week 8. But he said he doesn’t want to risk a setback if the leg isn’t ready to absorb hits from defensive players. He also said it wouldn’t help the team if he tried to come back at 50 percent or 75 percent. “If I can’t be me, there’s no point in me being out there,” Bush said. “This is a game of inches, so if somebody else can do it better than me, they should be out there.” — New Orleans Times-Picayune