Saints QB Drew Brees announces retirement

NEW ORLEANS — New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees announced Sunday via social media that he has taken his last snap in the NFL.

Brees’ four children broke the news – citing all the right reasons – in an Instagram post.

“After 15 years with the Saints and 20 years in the NFL, our dad is finally gonna retire. So he can spend more time with us! Yeah!!” the post read, with an annotation provided by the 42-year-old former Super Bowl MVP.

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“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. We shared some amazing moments together, many of which are emblazoned in our hearts and minds and will forever be a part of us,” Brees wrote, adding, “You have molded me, strengthened me, inspired me, and given me a lifetime of memories. My goal for the last 15 years was striving to give to you everything you had given to me and more. 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, credited with helping revive the Saints franchise and reviving the city of New Orleans following the 2005 devastation delivered by Hurricane Katrina, and Saints head coach Sean Payton joined the team together in 2006. The duo led the Saints to an NFC Championship Game in their first season and won the franchise’s only Super Bowl three years later, ESPN reported.

According to the sports news network, Brees ends his career as the NFL’s all-time leader in career passing yards, at 80,358 yards, and ranks second all-time in two key metrics: 571 touchdown passes and a 67.7% completion percentage.

Brees also made 13 trips to the Pro Bowl, was named the AP Offensive Player of the Year twice and won the Walter Payton Man of the Year honor in 2006, NFL.com reported.

“Throughout his career, (Brees’) consistency and dedication to excellence were unparalleled. In a very short period of time, he would help lead a region to recovery and a team to a Super Bowl Championship. He was a magnificent leader both on and off the field. His attention to detail and competitive spirit were infectious. For all of us that have had the chance to coach him, it has been our privilege, we are better for it,” Sean Payton said in a prepared statement.

Brees, a Purdue University standout, was a second-round pick by the Chargers in 2001, where he played until 2005, before joining the Saints via a six-year deal the following year, NFL.com reported.

“Drew is so much more valuable than all the records, awards and accolades that he amassed through a 15-year career with the New Orleans Saints and 20-year NFL playing career, one of the greatest in our league’s history,” Saints owner Gayle Benson said in a prepared statement.

“When Drew first joined the Saints in 2006, my late husband Tom was determined to deliver a team to New Orleans that would win a championship on the field and become a leader in the community following the setbacks that Hurricane Katrina dealt our region. Over and above his outstanding performance, Drew came to represent the resolve, passion and drive that resonates not only with Saints fans and football fans, but our entire community. He played the game and played the position at its highest level, but just as important, represented our organization and region in the highest fashion. We will forever be grateful to him for what he brought to our club and the entire Gulf South community, showing everybody what can be accomplished by putting our sleeves up and showing leadership, determination and hard work. As we grew as a region and as a football team, it was also a pleasure to watch him grow as a husband to Brittany and become a father to four incredible children,” Benson added.

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