There have been rumors for some time, but now it’s getting closer to being official. Saints quarterback Drew Brees will indeed retire when the New Orleans season ends, Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer reports (Twitter video Link)
That means that no matter what happens, tonight will be Brees’ last game in the Superdome, as the Saints will be heading towards Green Bay next if they win. This is in line with what we heard earlier this weekend, when it was reported that those close to the veteran caller believed he would turn off his boots. He can always reverse the course, but it looks like this is really the end of the line for a 42-year-old man.
If so, it will end one of the most illustrious careers in NFL history, with Brees’ name going into the record books. He currently has the most yards in league history and the second highest number of touchdowns behind Tom Brady. Brees signed a contract with NBC Sports last April, so he already has his post-player career aligned.
A few years ago, there was speculation that Brees was coming to an end and he lost significant time with health problems in each of the past two seasons. The moment it is official, all eyes will immediately turn to what New Orleans will do to replace the incumbent since the 2006 season.
Taysom Hill is the only other passenger currently on the list, although the same report from the beginning of this weekend indicates that they would like to sign again Jameis Winston, which was defined as a free agent. Hill went up and down during his stretch as a team starter this year, while Brees lost time with a rib injury.
Reports have indicated in the past that Sean Payton sees Hill as the star of the team’s future, although it is unclear whether he still feels that way after looking more closely at him in 2020. We will have a much longer, sentimental post about Brees’s retirement whenever the Purdue product and Super Bowl champion XLIV confirms the news personally.
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