Legendary New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees might still be in the NFL if it wasn’t for a right arm issue that is preventing him from throwing the football. Brees revealed this in a recent chat with ESPN.
Brees decided to retire from professional football after the 2020 season and resisted the temptation to return to the game despite having several offers to do so. As it turns out, the Super Bowl XLIV MVP didn’t’ walk away because he lacked the desire to continue playing.
“Look, I’ll let you in on a little fact,” Brees told ESPN. “I don’t throw with my right arm anymore. My right arm does not work. So, when I throw in the backyard right now, I throw left-handed.”
According to Brees, his right arm issues resulted from a severe shoulder injury he suffered in 2005 as a member of the Los Angeles Chargers. While the surgery allowed him to continue playing on a high level, the injury put him “on the fast track to a degenerative shoulder and all kind of arthritic changes.” If it wasn’t for the right-arm issues, Brees “would absolutely still be playing.”
Drew Brees retired with a resume that guarantees he will become a first-ballot Hall of Famer. Aside from leading the Saints to a Super Bowl, he also received 13 Pro Bowl nods and owns a number of NFL passing records.
