Age hasn’t won out yet for Drew Brees, who has announced he is coming back to play this upcoming season for the New Orleans Saints.
The Comeback
The 41-year-old quarterback announced on Instagram today that he is planning to come back for the 2020 season. Much speculation was made about Brees’ future after the Saints’ disappointing Divisional Round playoff loss to the MInnesota Vikings. Brees is the second-oldest quarterback in the league, behind Tom Brady, and many fans have been wondering just how much gas he had left in the tank. If this past season was any indication, the answer is quite a bit.
Despite missing five games early in the season after injuring his thumb, Brees finished the season with a passer rating of 116.3; the best in his career, and he even earned NFC Player of the Month in December when he threw for 15 touchdowns without a single turnover. Even with the loss in the playoffs in which he didn’t play well, Brees has played at an elite level the past two seasons, even as he has gotten older.
He hasn’t been able to throw the deep ball as much as he used to, but his ability to adapt his game and make the smart plays has allowed him to remain one of the best quarterbacks playing today.
After the season, Brees wanted to make sure he made the right decision for himself and his family. There is no denying the toll that football takes not only on the body, but also the mind. Issues like CTE are causing more and more players to end their careers earlier than expected in order to maintain a healthier way of life.
Free Agent and Potential Offers
Brees appears to think he is in a good place and is fit enough to keep playing football. Currently, he is set to become a free agent this March, but has made it clear the past several years that he has no intention of testing the open market.
Brees is dedicated to the Saints and the two sides will have to work out a new contract for him, though his taking a pay cut in the past to remain with the team indicates that money won’t be an issue for him.
What could be an issue is the Saints if they want to keep their backup quarterbacks, Teddy Bridgewater, 27, and Taysom Hill, 29. While Brees was out this past season, Bridgewater started for the team and went 5-0, none too surprising given his past experience of starting for the Vikings.
Bridgewater will become an unrestricted free agent which means he will have more freedom in choosing where he goes and taking the most money. There are plenty odd teams who are looking for a more consistent starting quarterback, so it would be no surprise to us if he finds another team who will pay him more.
Regardless, it looks like Brees and the Saints are gearing up for another run for the Super Bowl this season. Father Time is usually the one to get the best of all of us, but it looks like Brees is holding out a little bit longer.
