Drew Brees isn't sure he wants to play through his mid-40s, but he believes that if he chooses to do so, he could.
As 42-year-old Tom Brady prepares for free agency - and his 21st NFL season - Brees, who turned 41 in January, gave a nuanced take about his own future in the league Thursday.
"I'm not just saying this - but honestly, I'm one year at a time," Brees said on The Greg Hill Show on WEEI. "Now listen, if you ask me how long do I think I could do this, I think I could do this until age 45, or beyond. I'm 41 right now. But, there's other factors. It's not just a matter of can you do it, it's what are you sacrificing in order to be able to play this game and give it the time ans dedication that it deserves? Even in the offseason, there's a lot of time and dedication to this, and certainly once the season starts, man, we could just lock ourselves up and go to work. It's a lot of time away from the family, there's a lot of sacrifice there.
"So I think for me, it's truly one year at a time. I started really taking that approach a couple years ago, and honestly, it was probably the best decision I made. We always say 'I'm gonna play it like it's my last.' Truly, three years ago, I said "this might be my last season, so I'm going to play it like it's my last.' And you know what? I've had more fun playing the game of football, I've enjoyed the locker room that much more, I've enjoyed the plane rides home that much more, and we've had a ton of success that way."
A thumb injury limited Brees to just 11 regular season games in 2019, but he was excellent over that span, tossing 27 touchdowns to just four interceptions while leading the Saints to an 8-3 record.
However, for the third consecutive season, the Saints suffered a disappointing postseason exit, losing to the Minnesota Vikings in January for the second time in three seasons. Though not as crushing of a defeat as the Miracle in Minneapolis, this loss was more surprising, as Kirk Cousins and the Vikings defeated the favored Saints, 26-20, in overtime of their Wild Card Round matchup in New Orleans.
Brees, of course, doesn't have much left to prove, if anything. The drive to win a second Super Bowl title, though, likely played a motivating factor in the 13-time Pro Bowler's decision to come back and attempt to make another Super Bowl run with the Saints. He's expected to get at least one more crack at doing so.
Brees' contract for 2020 will automatically void on March 18, leaving the Saints without the ability to franchise tag him before the start of free agency. However, Brees said Thursday that he doesn't plan to play for any other team than the Saints, and head coach Sean Payton was among those involved with the organization that said when Brees was weighing his future that if he wanted to come back, he would be welcomed back. So, unlike Brady in New England, Brees returning to New Orleans appears to be a matter of when, not if.
If Brees ultimately does decide to continue playing beyond 2020, his future in New Orleans becomes less clear. The Saints will likely lose Teddy Bridgewater - who led them to a 5-0 record in Brees' absence in 2019 - in free agency this offseason. However, restricted free agent Taysom Hill, who Payton has compared to Hall of Famer Steve Young, is seen as the heir apparent to Brees. Hill, who is currently used in a jack-of-all-trades role, will turn 30 in August.
LISTEN NOW on the RADIO.COM App
Follow RADIO.COM Sports
Twitter | Facebook I Instagram
