Drew Brees officially announces retirement on Instagram

Drew Brees officially announced his retirement on Instagram Sunday, amid much speculation since the close of the 2020 NFL season.

Brees played 20 seasons within the NFL, including a stint with the San Diego Chargers ahead of his legendary career with the New Orleans Saints. The future NFL Hall-of-Famer received 13 Pro Bowl selections, was a two-time winner of the NFL’s Offensive Player of the Year award and won Super Bowl XLIV over the Indianapolis Colts in 2010, where he was awarded Super Bowl MVP. At the time of his retirement, Brees ranks second all-time in passing touchdowns and first all-time in completions among NFL quarterbacks.

Two quarterbacks sat behind Brees in the 2020 NFL season, including gadget-man Taysom Hill and former Bucs quarterback Jameis Winston. Hill, now 30-years old, is set to hit free agency in the 2022 season, while Winston’s one-year deal expires with the start of the new league year. Hill was the team’s go-to man as Brees managed a number of injuries through 2020, including multiple rib fractures, collapsed lung, torn rotator cuff and torn plantar fascia. In his four-game stint as a starter, Hill led the team to a 3-1 record, though his overall body of work as a starting quarterback remains quite small.