Drew Brees is one of the greatest players to ever set foot on the gridiron. The former New Orleans Saints quarterback enjoyed a long and successful career. Let’s take a look at when he concluded his playing days and how he transitioned into broadcasting.
When Did Saints QB Drew Brees Retire?
After a two-decade NFL career, Brees hung up his boots following the Saints’ 2020 season. He was originally selected by the San Diego Chargers in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft. Over 20 seasons, the veteran played in 287 games, recording an NFL record 80,358 passing yards and 571 touchdown passes with a 67.7% completion rate.
After being drafted, Brees spent five seasons with the Chargers before joining the Saints as a free agent in 2006, where he played the final 15 years of his career and became the driving force behind the franchise’s success.
When Brees arrived in New Orleans, the team was coming off a 3-13 season and had reached the playoffs just once in the previous 13 years. In his very first season, Brees led the Saints to a division title and an appearance in the NFC Championship Game, where they lost to the Chicago Bears. In his fourth season with the team, he guided the Saints to a Super Bowl victory, defeating the Indianapolis Colts.
During his 15 seasons in New Orleans, Brees played in 228 games, throwing for 68,010 yards and 491 touchdowns, while leading the team to the playoffs nine times.
On March 14, 2021, Brees officially announced his retirement on social media, sharing a video of his children delivering the news in an excited tone as they celebrated the fact that their father would now be spending more time with them.
“After 20 years as a player in the NFL and 15 years as a Saint, it is time I retire from the game of football. Each day, I poured my heart & soul into being your Quarterback. Til the very end, I exhausted myself to give everything I had to the Saints organization, my team, and the great city of New Orleans,” Brees wrote on Instagram.
Brees’ Entry Into Broadcasting After Retirement
In the same Instagram post, Brees also shared that while he was retiring from on-field action, he was not saying goodbye to New Orleans or the NFL.
“I am only retiring from playing football, I am not retiring from New Orleans. This is not goodbye, rather a new beginning. Now my real life‘s work begins!” Brees wrote.
Following his retirement, the former Saints star joined NBC Sports as an analyst. However, his new role did not last long. Since then, he has appeared as a guest analyst on several media outlets.
Last month, the future Hall of Famer landed a new role by signing a multiyear contract with Fox to serve as an NFL game commentator. It will be interesting to see how Brees performs in his latest broadcasting chapter.
