Drew Brees has announced that he will be retiring from the NFL after 20 seasons. His four children made the announcement on Instagram on the 15th anniversary of signing with New Orleans Saints. His next stop will be Canton, Ohio.
The future hall of famer posted the following message on his Instagram:
Brees spent his first five seasons with the San Diego Chargers before suffering a shoulder injury after getting hit from behind by Denver Broncos safety John Lynch. This forced Brees to pick a new destination to continue his career, and he ultimately decided to make his home in New Orleans shortly after Hurricane Katrina devastated the southern city. In 2006, Brees was named as the Walter Payton Man of the Year after helping the city of New Orleans recover from the horrific hurricane disaster.
With Brees retiring, he will finish as the NFL’s all-time passing yards leader with 80,358 and second in passing touchdowns with 571, trailing only Tom Brady. The 13-time Pro Bowler lead the NFL in passing seven different times including five 5,000 yard passing seasons. Never winning a league MVP, he did win a Super Bowl MVP after his Saints beat the Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl 39.
Saints head coach Sean Payton also released a statement on his quarterback:
“When I was hired by the Saints as head coach in 2006, the very first goal was to establish a functional and winning culture,” Head Coach Sean Payton said. “In doing so, it was vital to know what we were looking for in a player, talent, work ethic, makeup, intelligence and leadership are all qualities we found in Drew Brees. We also found a player with a burning desire to win. Within a year, he helped lead our team to the club’s first NFC Championship appearance.
“Throughout his career, his 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.
“I am forever grateful for what he has done for our team, our community and for me personally.”
Brees will go down as one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history for all of his on-field accomplishments, but you can make a legitimate argument that there has never been a quarterback who made a greater impact on a city than what Brees has done for the city of New Orleans.
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