Despite still being one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL at age 41, the clock is undoubtedly ticking for New Orleans Saints star Drew Brees. The question is, how fast is that clock ticking.
Well, according to Saints head coach Sean Payton, it's ticking quite fast. Payton was interviewed Tuesday morning on ESPN's ‘Get Up.' When discussing Saints backup quarterback Taysom Hill, Payton mentioned 2020 as Brees' “final season.”
The Saints coach also mentioned that due to the nature of how they use Hill in many different positions on offense and special teams, a third quarterback is pretty much required in case of injury.
Earlier in the month, Payton tested positive for COVID-19 and was the NFL's first official case of a player or staff member. The veteran head coach has been doing media interviews in his home as he quarantines and recovers.
As for Brees, the 13-time Pro Bowler will be entering his 20th NFL season and 15th with New Orleans. In those first 19 seasons, the former second-round pick has broken all sorts of records, including the most regular-season touchdown passes in a career (547) and the most career passing yards (currently at 77,416.
Last season, Brees was forced to miss five games due to a hand injury. In 11 games, the 41-year-old completed a league-high 74.3 percent of his passes for 2,979 yards, 27 touchdowns, and only four interceptions.
When Brees does eventually retire, Payton and the Saints organization are obviously very confident in Hill's ability to be a starting quarterback in the league.