Drew Brees Announces Retirement From Playing Football
After years of delivering goosebumps across the state of Louisiana, New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees has announced he is retiring from the NFL.
Brees started his career in San Diego, when the Chargers called that city home. But after that franchise drafted Philip Rivers, Brees moved on to find a new opportunity. That wasn't going to be easy, because Brees was also dealing with a career threatening shoulder injury. Before finding a home in New Orleans, Brees nearly landed in Miami with then Dolphins coach Nick Saban. However the opinion of doctors kept him from becoming a Dolphin.
Brees made his way to New Orleans to start a path with new Saints coach Sean Payton.
Once the pair came together in New Orleans, magic really started flowing. The Saints reached heights that seemed laughable in previous decades. Back when Saints fans were wearing paper bags on their heads inside the Superdome, it seemed ridiculous that the team would ever win a Super Bowl. But with Brees and Payton, that's exactly what they did.
Brees will end his career with a lot more than that Super Bowl ring. He finishes his career with an NFL record 80,358 yards, 571 touchdowns (second most in history), and a QB rating of 98.7 (5th best all time). He lead the league in passing yards 7 times, including a bananas 5,476 yards for the Saints in 2011.
He made 13 Pro Bowls, was a 2-time AP Offensive Player of the Year, Walter Payton Man of the Year winner in 2006, and also won the Super Bowl MVP in 2009.