Former New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees said he could have played another three years if not for his weakened right arm.
Brees, who retired after the 2020 season after 20 NFL seasons, said he thought about making a comeback but the wear and tear of his right arm prevented it.
“Honestly, man, if my right arm was still working, I probably would’ve played another three years,” Brees said. “My body feels great. My body can play. My right arm can’t. Unfortunately that’s what kind of forced me to step away. And it was time too.”
Brees, who set NFL records for the highest completion percentage in a season, most consecutive games with a touchdown pass, and most career 5,000-passing seasons, said the physical aspect of the game was the determining factor in trying to make a comeback.
“At the end of the day, it’s like, how capable … am I to do the job, right? I would’ve run QB draws. I would’ve done whatever. I would’ve done some veer option. We would’ve pulled out all the stops. I was ready. Pull out the high school playbook,” Brees said.
The future Hall of Famer also said that his right arm does not work when trying to throw a ball, even thinking his career was over after suffering a serious shoulder injury with the then-San Diego Chargers.
“I can drop a dime like 30 yards, left-handed,” Brees said. “Unfortunately you need a little bit more than that to compete at this level. I throw left-handed with the boys, with everything. Anything below my shoulder, below the waist, racket sports, golf, that’s fine.”
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Drew Brees could have played three more years if not for arm trouble