Six years ago, Drew Brees languished in a hospital room. Coming off surgery to repair the torn labrum in his throwing shoulder, the former San Diego Chargers quarterback was at a crossroads.
No contract. No team. No idea if he would play quarterback again in the NFL.
It's easy to forget Brees ever played quarterback in San Diego. His DNA today is intertwined with the New Orleans Saints. After agreeing to a five-year, $100 million deal, the two appear wedded for life.
"Here I am, I'm going into my 12th season, I'm 33 years old, and yet I feel like a kid," Brees told WWL radio on Friday. "I feel like I could do this for another 20 years. And I always want to have that passion for the game and that emotion."
Brees told of the long negotiations behind a deal that makes him the game's richest based on average annual salary.
"When you're talking about the type of contracts these are, the type of money that's out there, at times, it's hard for people to ... identify or grasp what's happening here," Brees said. "I think it's very easy to sit back and say that this is ridiculous. But the fact is, I think the desired result was reached, and I think we're all excited about that -- and ecstatic -- and now it's time to get to work, and that's all we've wanted to do this entire offseason.
Brees told WWL the embattled Saints walk into this season with a "we will overcome" mindset.
"This season cannot start fast enough," said Brees.
