Drew Brees is putting his retirement thoughts on hold for at least one year and the New Orleans Saints quarterback will return to the team for one more season. It will mark the 20th NFL season for Brees, and his 15th season in New Orleans after joining the Saints in 2006.
Brees, 41, holds the NFL record for most passing yardage and touchdowns. With Tom Brady expecting to play for at least a couple of more seasons, Brees would most likely lose both records to Brady as soon as he retired.
Brees holds the NFL record with 547 touchdowns. Brees also holds the NFL passing record with 77,416 yards.
Both Brees and head coach Sean Payton have their eyes on securing a second Super Bowl together. They previously won Super Bowl XLIV after a 13-3 season in 2009. That’s the only Super Bowl victory for Brees, and for the New Orleans franchise.
The Saints were arguably one of the best teams in the NFC the last two seasons. However, they failed to advance to the Super Bowl in both instances.
In the 2019 NFC Championship game, the Saints lost to the Los Angeles Rams on a controversial pass interference no-call that probably cost them a Super Bowl berth.
This past season, the Saints were the #3 seed, but were picked off by the #6 Minnesota Vikings in the wild card, 26-20. After two consecutively disappointing postseasons, Brees wants to return to the Saints to settle unfinished business.
Drew Brees Returns to Who Dat Nation
When the season ended, Brees said he needed time to think about his options for the future. He was a free agent, but the real question was, would he return to the Saints or retire? He had no desire to play anywhere else.
Brees confirmed his return to the Saints on Instagram.
“My feelings about to the 2020 season!” wrote Brees. “I look forward to the grind and the journey, for the reward at the end will be worth it!!! Love you #WhoDatNation. Let’s make another run at it.”
Even before he made it official, all signs pointed to a return for Brees, especially since he missed five games last season with a thumb injury. In addition, Brees wasn’t happy with his performance in the wild-card upset by the Vikings.
Brees injured his thumb in the second game of the season. He missed five weeks, but the Saints won all five games under backup Teddy Bridgewater.
In 11 games, Brees finished with 2,979 yards, 27 touchdowns and four interceptions. His 71.7 QBR was third-best in the NFL. He was tied for fifth in the NFL in touchdowns, despite missing five games.
Can’t Keep All Three QBs
With three quarterbacks, including Teddy Bridgewater and Taysom Hill, the Saints were in a unique position last year.
Bridgewater went 5-0 as a starter, and more than held the line for the Saints until Brees returned to action. Bridgewater saw his value increase substantially, and he’s expected to sign a lucrative contract with a different team as an unrestricted free agent. The Saints don’t have the cap space to pay a hefty price to retain Bridgewater’s services.
Hill, 29, is a restricted free agent, which means that the Saints have the upper hand. They can match any offers from other teams, but if they choose not to retain Hill, then his new team will have to pony up a first-round draft pick.
Hill impressed the Saints with his “Swiss Army knife” ability to play multiple positions. Hill lined up on special teams and played QB, WR, TE, and RB.
Hill wants to stay with the Saints for another season and play behind Brees. He considers Brees a close friend and mentor.
“When we had conversations, I told him, man I sure hope he came back and played,” said Hill. “I felt like it was better for the NFL and for him to be playing.”
According to a recent update by William Hill, the New Orleans Saints are 11/1 odds to win the 2021 Super Bowl.