New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees has been slingin' footballs as a pro for a while now. Specifically, for 19 years after 2019 kicks off. With the quarterback entering his age 40 season, speculation about retirement remains. But, Brees thinks he “can play a lot longer,” as he told Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer.

Brees rebutted his statement to Breer, stating that he's taking his career one step at a time and enjoying it while he can. As he said,

But we’ll see. I just don’t want to take it for granted, I know it’s not going to last forever so I just want to enjoy the moment while it’s here. And about three or four years ago, I just made that commitment—I’m going play every year like it’s my last. I know we say that a lot. But I’m really going to play it like it’s my last.

And that’s just forced me to enjoy it even more.

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Playing last season like it's his last, Brees showed little signs of decline. He finished the season second in MVP voting, behind Patrick Mahomes, and earned the same rank in NFL Network's NFL Top 100. He led the NFL in completion percentage with 74.4 percent and finished the season with 3,992 yards, 32 touchdowns, and five interceptions to his name.

Under Brees and head coach Sean Payton, the Saints cruised to the NFC's top seed and the NFC Championship. If it weren't for a particular no-call, he could have been in his second Super Bowl and his first against Tom Brady.

The bitter end of the 2018 season may have pushed Brees to continue the shaping of an all-time NFL legacy. Or, as he told Breer, he wants to continue playing at a high level before his career comes to an end. It doesn't hurt that the Saints are legitimate Super Bowl contenders for 2019 either.