DREW BREES TO RETIRE AFTER 2020 SEASON
NEW ORLEANS -- Drew Brees announced Tuesday that he will retire at the end of the 2020 NFL season.
The Saints quarterback has signed a deal to join NBC as a broadcaster in 2021, signalling his intention to hang up his cleats after his 20th season in professional football.
In a contract that will begin after Brees retires from the Saints, the 41-year-old will be groomed as the potential replacement for Cris Collinsworth on “Sunday Night Football,” according to sources.
Brees is expected to start as a game analyst on Notre Dame football and as a studio analyst for “Football Night in America", before taking over for Collinsworth in 2022.
NBC already has a succession plan for Collinsworth’s SNF partner, Al Michaels. After the 2022 Super Bowl, Mike Tirico is going to take over full-time for Michaels.
This offseason, Brees signed a two-year, $50 million contract with the Saints, but there was a feeling inside the organisation that the quarterback and New Orleans were preparing for their final season together.
When the new season commences, Brees will be the NFL's all-time leader in passing yards, passing touchdowns, and passing completion percentage. The future Hall of Fame quarterback can also become the first NFL player to surpass 80,000 yards passing in a career in 2020.
"I made my decision a while ago," Brees said.
"I just knew that this was it for me. I still love the game and still have a passion for it, but this is a decision we all have to make sooner or later.
"2020 won't be my retirement tour. Hopefully it'll be a successful season for the team and we can achieve something great."
A party with the Lombardi would be a fitting end to a storied career for the sure first-ballot Hall of Famer.
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