The NFL‘s career passing leader isn’t ready to hang up the cleats yet. The former Super Bowl MVP, Drew Brees, is back for another year.
Drew Brees isn’t retiring yet.
Brees, 41, announced on Instagram Tuesday morning that he’ll indeed play at least one more season. While he remains scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent when the new league year begins on March 18, it’s widely expected he’ll be back with the New Orleans Saints.
The 13-time Pro Bowler has been with the Saints since 2006, helping the franchise win its first Super Bowl in 2009.
Despite a hand injury which kept Brees out of five games, the future first-ballot Hall of Famer finished the 2019 season with 27 touchdowns against four interceptions, alongside 2,979 passing yards. After losing to the Minnesota Vikings in the NFC Wild Card round, though, Brees indicated that his future was up in the air.
With Brees now having decided to stave off retirement for at least one more year, he and Saints general manager Mickey Loomis need to sit down and work on a new contract. Brees’ last contract was signed in 2018 when he agreed to a two-year, $50 million deal.
The announcement is a sigh of relief for Saints fans and management. The team must seek clarity on their backup quarterbacks: Teddy Bridgewater and Taysom Hill. Bridgewater, 27, will likely be offered a starting role elsewhere while Hill, 29, could be retained for another season as a restricted free agent. Saints fans will have to wait another year to see who will become the successor to the iconic quarterback.
With Brees likely in the fold, New Orleans has a chance to avenge its recent postseason doldrums. The Saints have been rudely bounced each of the past three seasons, including the Minneapolis Miracle in 2017, the famous no-call on Nickell Robey-Coleman and the Los Angeles Rams in ’18, and then January’s major upset defeat to the Vikings.
Brees holds career NFL records for completion percentage, passing yards and touchdown passes. Interestingly, his record 77,416 passing yards is only 2,845 yards greater than Tom Brady’s, who currently at 74,571.