Drew Brees calls it a career after 20 seasons in the NFL, the last 15 of which he has spent with the New Orleans Saints. A 13-time Pro Bowler, a one-time Super Bowl champion and a steady record holder, the 42-year-old quarterback said he played his competitive football. Brees announces his retirement on the 15th anniversary of his signing with the Saints.
While many assumed that the loss of the Saints to the Buccaneers in the playoffs of the playoffs was the last game of his career, Brees waited another two months before officially announcing his retirement. Brees announced his retirement via a message on his Instagram account.
The report contains a video of his children celebrating the news.
“After 20 years as a player in the NFL and 15 years as a Saint, it’s time for me to retire from playing football.
“Every day I poured my heart and soul to be your quarterback. To the end, I exhausted myself to give everything I had to the Saints organization, my team and the great city of New Orleans. We have.” shared some maze moments, many of which are ingrained in our hearts and minds and will forever be a part of us. You shaped, strengthened, inspired me and gave me a lifetime of memories. My goal for the past 15 years was to give you everything you gave me and more.
“I’m just retiring to play football, I’m not retiring from New Orleans. It’s not goodbye, rather a new beginning. My new beginning begins in real life!”
Brees referred to the possibility of retiring after January’s playoff game against Tampa Bay. The loss was the fourth consecutive defeat for the Saints and the third consecutive result lost against the home team.
“I have always tried to play this game with great respect and reverence for it,” Brees said after the loss to reporters. “I appreciate everything this game has given me. There are, of course, so many incredible memories, so many incredible relationships that have arisen as a result of playing this game. And you find out so much about yourself and you have to fight as much as you do. playing this game.And I would say this season, I probably should have penetrated more than I ever should have done in another season in my career, from injury to all the COVID stuff to crazy circumstances. (But) it was every moment of it. ‘
Brees leaves the NFL as one of the most capable signal callers in league history. The Purdue product, selected in the second round of the San Diego Chargers in 2001, hangs the claws as the NFL’s all-time leader in careers, finishing and completion percentage, not to mention five All-Pro honors. , two attacking players of the Year awards and the Super Bowl XLIV MVP.
“When I was appointed head coach by the Saints in 2006, the very first goal was to establish a functional and winning culture,” Saints coach Sean Payton wrote in a statement. via Nick Underhill. ‘Thus, it was essential to know what we were looking for in a player, talent, work ethic, makeup, intelligence and leadership are all qualities we found in Drew Brees. We also found a player with a burning desire to win. Within a year, he helped lead our team to the club’s first NFC Championship.
“Throughout his career, his consistency, dedication and excellence have been unmatched. In a very short time, he would help lead a region to recovery and a team to a Super Bowl championship. He was an amazing leader on both as off the field.His attention to detail and competitive spirit was contagious.For all of us who had the chance to coach him, it was our privilege, we are better for it.
“I am forever grateful for what has been done for our team, our community and for me personally.”
Brees flashed with the Chargers during the first five seasons of his career and culminated in 2004 with a 27-Test campaign to lead San Diego to a 12-4 final. However, he will be most remembered for redefining his legacy in New Orleans, which he signed in 2006, after a season lost by a torn labrum, and which is likely to be the steady QB production of the entire NFL. wash. From 2006-2018, Brees missed just two starts for the Saints, led the league seven times in passing yards, five times conceded the 5,000 point and threw at least 30 touchdowns ten times.
Injuries have hampered Brees during his last two seasons with New Orleans, as the veteran missed five games in 2019 and another four in 2020, but his numbers have almost never slipped from his debut with the Saints to the time he said goodbye to the Superdome. do not have. In nine of his last 12 NFL seasons, Brees has a pass rate of more than 100, which recorded a career high of 116.3 in 2019. He was probably the main reason for New Orleans’ consistency after the season under coach Sean Payton, who helped the Saints lead nine different playoff games, and was head of the franchise after his first Super Bowl victory in 2009, and has Peyton Manning and defeating the Colts.