New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees went through the wringer this year, from a physical standpoint.

Brees suffered multiple broken ribs and a collapsed lung in a Week 10 win over the San Francisco 49ers, with said injuries forcing him out of the team's next four games. But Brees' wife, Brittany, revealed the future Hall of Famer had been playing through pain all season.

Brittany said on Instagram her husband also played through a torn rotator cuff and torn fascia in his foot, in addition to the rib and lung injuries.

Brees' numbers are all the more impressive, in hindsight.

The 42-year-old went 9-3 in 12 regular-season starts, completing 70.5 percent of his pass attempts for nearly 3,000 yards and 24 touchdowns against just six interceptions. He was prolific even without a healthy Michael Thomas, who missed a number of games and was banged up even when he took the field.

Unfortunately for Brees and the Saints, the heroic effort did not amount to a Super Bowl title. New Orleans was defeated at the hands of Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this past weekend, with Brees throwing three costly interceptions. Now, it remains to be seen whether Brees will ever play football again or not.

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Reports surfaced just prior to Saints-Bucs suggesting Brees was planning to retire at the end of the season. However, the NFL's all-time leading passer said after the game he would spend some time with his family before making a final decision.

Brees could just as easily call it a career after playing through such extensive pain this year. Conversely, perhaps he wants one more chance at a second Super Bowl title.

Regardless, Brees endured quite a bit of physical torture in 2020, but valiantly played through the pain and play winning football.