Drew Brees excited about the unknown with Saints

Drew Brees had no time to celebrate when he agreed to the richest contract in NFL history on July 13.

His 21-month-old son Bowen had other plans.

“The minute I got off the phone, I changed Bowen's poopy diaper,” Brees said Tuesday after the New Orleans Saints reported to training camp.

Speaking to a large media contingent for the first since signing a five-year, $100 million deal with the Saints, Brees added his next move after changing the diaper was to put some whites in the washer before putting (3-year old) son Baylen's lunch in the refrigerator.

“That was pretty much standard operation every day in the offseason,” Brees said. “Nothing changed. I didn't jump and down. My mindset was never swayed in any way.”

Nothing was standard for the Saints during an unprecedentedly tumultuous offseason. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell suspended coach Sean Payton for the entire season for his role in bountygate. Linebacker Jonathan Vilma is suspended for the year, too, though he will seek an injunction in federal court on Thursday. Interim coach Joe Vitt will miss the first six games, and defensive end Will Smith will sit out four. General manager Mickey Loomis is suspended for eight.

Brees missed every team workout in the offseason while negotiating his contract after the Saints put the franchise tag on him. That move prevented them from franchising first-team All-Pro guard Carl Nicks, allowing him to leave for the Tampa Bay Bucs as a free agent.

The Saints' first practice on Thursday certainly will have a different feel than start of training camp a year ago.

“Do I have all the answers right now? Brees said. “No I don't because this is uncharted territory for us. I'm excited about the unknown.”

Despite those questions, Brees said he had not lowered his goals. He acknowledged it would be hard for him to match 2011 numerically, when he broke Dan Marino's record for passing yards in a season, but he expects New Orleans to contend for the Super Bowl. Widespread predictions of a significant drop-off from last year's 13-3 record -- understandable without Payton -- don't faze him.

“We have established ourselves as contenders every year,” he said. “We're a team that believes we can win every time we step on the field and should win every time we step on the field.”

Follow Guerry Smith and Saints RapidReports on Twitter @CBSSportsNFLNO.