Reggie Bush is expected to return to the Saints, according to a host of sources. There was speculation that Bush's $8 million base salary for 2010 might lead New Orleans to release him. "He'll be with us. He's not going anywhere," Saints coach Sean Payton told the New Orleans Times-Picayune. "Mickey [Loomis] and I talked the other day about it. We value what this player brings, what he's been in three of the last four years ... really in all four seasons here. So I think we've spent more time in the other areas than we have discussing his status. So he's full speed ahead, he finished strong, and he'll be with us."

Despite an $8 million salary in 2010, Reggie Bush's future is in New Orleans as the team has made no attempts to ask him to restructure, according to league sources. The Saints have had several conversations with agent Joel Segal, who also represents star New Orleans safety Darren Sharper, a potential free agent, and have not broached the subject of altering Bush's salary. Bush, who was a key contributor for New Orleans in the playoffs, remains in the Saints' budget following their post-Super Bowl organizational meetings. Many league executives believed the Saints might ask Bush to restructure his deal or ultimately release him in an uncapped year, getting out from a high first-round contract with largely a situational player to this point in his career. But that does not appear to be the case, with the start of free agency now essentially a week away.

Darren Sharper doesn't know why the Saints are allowing him to test the free agent market. Sharper wants to return to New Orleans, but was notified on Monday that the Super Bowl champions would not retain him with the franchise tag. "They said they want me back, but if you want someone back, why are you going to let them test the market?," Sharper told NFL.com. "I don't know how much they want me back if they're allowing other teams to bid for my services. Being in this situation before, if a team is willing to let you test the market, they're willing to let you go." Sharper, 34, earned Pro Bowl honors this past season after tying for a league-high nine interceptions. He signed a one-year, $1.7 million free-agent deal with the Saints last year after being released by the Vikings. "I'm going to want to be compensated market value," Sharper said. "Hopefully things work out (with the Saints). I know the system, and the team was more successful once I got there. They know the value. It's simple economics. You pay someone what they deserve. I was a bargain deal last year. "It's tough because the fan base is great, and we had something special and we have a chance to repeat. It would be bad if I wasn't able to return. We'll see if they make me an offer that is competitive."

Drew Brees took to Twitter due to so many people asking him whether the Saints should sign LaDainian Tomlinson. "OK, due to popular demand, I am asking the question....who thinks LT should be a Saint?" wrote Brees. Brees and Tomlinson were teammates in San Diego until the 2006 season.

The Saints will not place their franchise tag on Pro Bowl safety Darren Sharper, according to ESPN.com's Adam Schefter. New Orleans has decided to allow Sharper to test the free-agent market, though they will try to re-sign him. He tied for the most interceptions in the NFL in 2009 (nine) and returned three for touchdowns.

Saints quarterback Drew Brees appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Show recently, but the famous talk show host failed to do her homework prior to the interview. Brees, after leading New Orleans to a Super Bowl victory earlier this month, has become a media darling. Any moderate football fan would know that Brees has a small birthmark on the right side of his face, something he has never hidden. When Winfrey greeted Brees on his show, she went over to the quarterback and tried to rub the birthmark off, commenting on what she thought was a lipstick smear. Brees just laughed off the mistake.

NFL.com's Steve Wyche believes that the Saints will use their franchise tag on safety Darren Sharper. Sharper will be an unrestricted free-agent this offseason. He signed a reported one-year, $1.7 million contract with the Saints last offseason and would be due a tender amount of around $6.45 million under the franchise tag.

Saints quarterback Drew Brees served as monarch of Bacchus, one of the biggest parades of the Carnival season that culminates in Mardi Gras. Brees threw thousands of little foam footballs to the crowd that lined the streets of New Orleans. The usual Mardi Gras colors of purple, green and gold were replaced along the parade route with the black and gold of the Saints jerseys worn by thousands. "I missed the Saints parade," said Henry Exterstern of New Orleans. "No way I was going to miss him this time."

Super Bowl XLIV referee Rob Vernatchi spoke to KHTK about how Sean Payton and the Saints told his crew before the game to expect an onside kick at some point during the game. ?There was an onside kick obviously and I?ll tell you a little story about this kick," said Vernatchi. "Prior to the game, I and my partner (a line judge), were going to the home team to get information regarding captains and any plays that they?ll run. The other two guys across from us - the side judge and the other head linesman went in to the New Orleans locker room before the game, and they warned us they were going to run an onside kick. Prior to the game they told us this. We want to know if anything?s going to be a surprise. It?s to our benefit, especially on onside kicks. Onside kicks are bizarre. The ball bounces funny. So we knew about it. And we also knew it was going to be around the third or fourth kickoff, if they did kickoff that many times. And also it was right footed kicker and he would kick across his body. So we all knew this. So we came back out, and you know what?we had all the information in the world but we were still surprised. The guy kicks off and the ball comes towards me and it hits [Hank] Baskett in the helmet or the hands, and it rolled over to the New Orleans guy and it comes in between his legs. So I dove in. Somebody?s got to go in there and secure the ball because once that ball goes down there, it?s going back and forth. Anybody will come out with it. And sure enough, that thing went back and forth and I was the unlucky one down at the bottom of that pile and finally the New Orleans guy came out. It was just survival of the fittest, that?s how we ruled on it. Quite frankly, that ball was bouncing around down there and there?s no way you can secure it and none of us are strong enough to pry it from any of those guys.?

Greg Smith of NFL Films brilliantly broke down the specifics of Tracy Porter's already legendary interception of a Peyton Manning pass intended to Reggie Wayne. Because the Saints were unafraid of giving up a long play, Porter was allowed to gamble on the interception as the Colts tried to get a first down. Typically when in man coverage, cornerbacks will backpedal to stay with their receiver, but Porter did not do so.