Drew Brees Retires After 20 NFL Seasons
New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees announced his retirement on Sunday, the anniversary of his signing with the team 15 years ago.
Brees retires as the All-Time Leader in several NFL categories:
- Passing Yards: 80,358 (Tom Brady in second, just 1,154 yards behind)
- Completions: 7,142 (Brady second, just 364 behind)
- 5,000-yard Passing Seasons: Five (No other QB has more than one)
- Games with at least 300-yards passing: 123 (Brady second with 99)
- Games with at least 3 TD passes: 97 (Brady & Peyton Manning second with 93)
He’s also second in passing touchdowns (571; only behind Brady’s 581) and completion percentage (67.7; behind Deshaun Watson’s 67.8).
Brees spent five seasons with the then-San Diego Chargers before an injury (torn labrum) to his throwing shoulder almost ended his career. He needed surgery, and teams were worried that he wouldn’t recover.
Well, New Orleans took the “risk” and it was well worth it. Brees went 142-86 during his time on the Bayou.
The Saints franchise regular season win percentage went up six percent during Brees’ 15 years with the team.
Before Drew Brees the team was 237-352-5 (39.9 win percentage), with Brees’ numbers the Saints are 379-438-5 (46.1 win percentage). There were 12 games he did not start in his 15 seasons with NO.
Also, New Orleans is 10-13 overall in playoff games. Nine of those 10 franchise playoff games came with Brees at QB. Overall, Brees went 9-8 in the postseason. In other words, the team was 1-5 in the postseason before Brees showed up.
In 2011, Brees won his (and the team’s) only Super Bowl appearance in SB XLIV, beating Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts 31-17. Brees was named Super Bowl MVP after throwing for 288 yards and two touchdowns on 32-of-39 passing, which set the SB record for completion percentage (80.1).
Next, Brees will join NBC as a football analyst. He announced on Monday’s edition of the “Today Show” that he will work in-studio for “Football Night in America” and on NBC’s Sunday Night Football broadcast.
Then, five years from now he should be getting the call for enshrinement to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
