The end for Drew Brees might come sooner rather than later. At the Pro Bowl, he concedes that he’s mulling the possibility of retirement for the first time, and that he expects to make a decision in about a month.
If Brees plays, he says, it will be for New Orleans. If he’s done, the Saints probably would presumably use some combination of Teddy Bridgewater and Taysom Hill at quarterback. They also potentially could draft a quarterback or sign somebody in free agency.
Bridgewater went 5-0 as a starter last year, but without big numbers. He averaged 241 passing yards in those games, with 9 TDs and 2 interceptions.
New Orleans used Hill as an effective utility player, especially in the second half of the season. In the team’s final 10 games (including the playoffs) he totaled 427 yards and 6 TDs – that’s 125 rushing yards, 87 passing yards and 16 catches for 225 yards and 5 TDs. In two regular seasons with the team, Hill hasn’t been used much as a traditional quarterback, completing 6 of 13 passes for 119 yards, with no touchdowns and an interception.
At 41, Brees is nearing the end of the road. He’s lost some arm strength. But with his smarts and accuracy, he can still dissect a defense. He completed 74 percent of his passes this year, just short of his own NFL record.
Brees set the league’s completion percentage record in 2009, and he’s now got five of the six best seasons in that regard in NFL history.
| 70 PERCENT COMPLETIONS | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Player | Cmp% |
| 2018 | Drew Brees, N.O. | 74.4% |
| 2019 | Drew Brees, N.O. | 74.3% |
| 2017 | Drew Brees, N.O. | 72.0% |
| 2016 | Sam Bradford, Min. | 71.6% |
| 2011 | Drew Brees, N.O. | 71.2% |
| 2009 | Drew Brees, N.O. | 70.6% |
| 1982 | Ken Anderson, Cin. | 70.6% |
| 2019 | Derek Carr, Oak. | 70.4% |
| 1945 | Sammy Baugh, Was. | 70.3% |
| 1994 | Steve Young, S.F. | 70.3% |
| 2019 | Ryan Tannehill, Ten. | 70.3% |
| 1989 | Joe Montana, S.F. | 70.2% |
| 2018 | Kirk Cousins, Min. | 70.1% |
| 2016 | Drew Brees, N.O. | 70.0% |
Brees can also pile up passing yards. Of the 18 seasons with the most passing yards in NFL history, Brees has a third of them.
| MOST PASSING YARDS IN A SEASON | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Player | Yds |
| 2013 | Peyton Manning, Den. | 5,477 |
| 2011 | Drew Brees, N.O. | 5,476 |
| 2011 | Tom Brady, N.E. | 5,235 |
| 2016 | Drew Brees, N.O. | 5,208 |
| 2012 | Drew Brees, N.O. | 5,177 |
| 2013 | Drew Brees, N.O. | 5,162 |
| 2018 | Ben Roethlisberger, Pitt. | 5,129 |
| 2019 | Jameis Winston, T.B. | 5,109 |
| 2018 | Patrick Mahomes, K.C. | 5,097 |
| 1984 | Dan Marino, Mia. | 5,084 |
| 2008 | Drew Brees, N.O. | 5,069 |
| 2011 | Matthew Stafford, Det. | 5,038 |
| 2012 | Matthew Stafford, Det. | 4,967 |
| 2014 | Drew Brees, N.O. | 4,952 |
| 2014 | Ben Roethlisberger, Pitt. | 4,952 |
| 2016 | Matt Ryan, Atl. | 4,944 |
| 2011 | Eli Manning, NYG | 4,933 |
| 2018 | Matt Ryan, Atl. | 4,924 |
| 2016 | Kirk Cousins, Was. | 4,917 |
| 2012 | Tony Romo, Dall. | 4,903 |
| 2019 | Dak Prescott, Dall. | 4,902 |
| 2015 | Drew Brees, N.O. | 4,870 |
Brees should make his decision in February. If he decides to step away, it will be a much different NFL in 2020.
—Ian Allan