Talk of a possible contract extension began for Drew Brees right before Super Bowl XLIV nearly two years ago. Talk of a possible contract extension for New Orleans Saints punter Thomas Morstead began four days ago.

Morstead said the Saints called his agent with a "good enough" offer to know that the team was serious in trying to reach a deal. A couple of days later, Morstead signed his six-year extension worth $21.9 million right after Friday's practice.

Morstead said he was prepared to play out the life of his deal as his contract would have expired at the end of this season. The 6-foot-4, 235-pound punter said he anticipated the Saints possibly placing the franchise tag on him next season.

Then the talks began, he stressed out about them for about three days and then the two sides completed the deal.

"I was still in the cold tub twice today getting ready for practice, so life hasn't changed that much yet," Morstead said. "It hasn't sunk in. It's happened so fast. I was so caught off guard by this. I didn't expect this would happen."

The contract makes Morstead the second highest-paid punter in the NFL behind the Raiders' Shane Lechler.

"For my money, I think he's one of the top punters," interim coach Joe Vitt said. "And I think people forget at times that he's our kickoff guy. He does such a great job on kickoffs placing the ball and giving our coverage units a chance to make tackles. We're talking about a guy with great passion for the game, works hard. He's active in our community. He's exactly the type of player you're looking for."