NFL all-time leading passer Drew Brees will pass on retirement, play in 2020
Given how well Drew Brees finished last season, it seemed like he’d come back for another season. But he made the New Orleans Saints and their fans sweat a few weeks.
A little less than a month before the start of free agency, Brees made it official: He’ll be back in 2020. Brees will be 41 years old during the 2020 season.
Brees broke the news with a picture from his vacation, via his Instagram.
Drew Brees had another strong season in 2019
Brees’ play didn’t slip in 2019, despite a thumb injury that cost him five games.
Brees was named NFC offensive player of the month for December. That strong finish was in contrast to the 2018 season, when a late-season slump led to questions about his age, which were inevitable as he entered his 40s.
Brees, the NFL’s all-time leader in passing yards and touchdowns, posted a career-best 116.3 passer rating last season and led the NFL in completion percentage for a third straight season. He clearly isn’t at the end yet.
Now he just has to get the Saints over the postseason hump they haven’t been able to clear the last three seasons.
Saints still chasing a championship
The Saints are in a bit of an odd spot. Quarterbacks Taysom Hill and Teddy Bridgewater are free agents. Brees is a year-to-year proposition, and other than Tom Brady, no quarterback has had much success at age 41 and beyond. Brees could hit the wall at any time.
But Brees still gives the Saints their best shot at a Super Bowl title in 2020. They have had heartbreaking losses in each of the past three seasons. Brees has one ring, but that came at the end of the 2009 season. Not that Brees needs another Super Bowl win, considering he’s already one of the all-time greats at quarterback, but it wouldn’t hurt his legacy either.
With Brees back, the Saints can dream again about making a Super Bowl. But the clock is ticking.
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