Drew Brees may have given Saints fans a scare, as he was reportedly mulling retirement this offseason, but ultimately, he will return to New Orleans for his 20th NFL season.
What led the 41-year-old to this decision?
“It’s unfinished business here in New Orleans,” Sports Illustrated Saints reporter John Hendrix said on After Hours with Amy Lawrence. “He’s been there since 2006, he’s loved the city, and you just look at the last several playoff exits. . . . Drew Brees is a competitor. There’s a lot to be done here still, and I think he gives the Saints the best chance to win a Super Bowl – or at least make a run at it – with the current core of players that they have.”
Brees, the NFL’s all-time leader in just about every passing stat that matters, has completed over 74 percent of his passes in each of the last two seasons. In 2019, he threw for 2,979 yards, 27 touchdowns and four interceptions in 11 games.
There were rumblings that Brees might test the free agent waters, but that obviously won’t be happening.
“There was zero chance, and it’s been a really clear line in the sand,” Hendrix said. “It’s New Orleans or nobody. You look at some of the relationships he has. He’s beloved down here, his relationship with Sean Payton is tops, the front office with Mickey Loomis, the owner Gayle Benson – his roots run real deep here in New Orleans. He’s tied to the community. He’s done a lot of things outside of New Orleans in establishing a lot of franchises and different things. It was never going to be a case of [him playing] somewhere else.”