Drew Brees 'knew' he was retiring before 2020 season

In March, Drew Brees officially called it a career, as he announced his retirement after nearly two decades of playing in the NFL. Most people believed that Brees would retire following the Saints' playoff loss to the Bucs but speculation about him returning began to grow when he held off on making an official statement.

In a conversation with Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio, Brees said he "got a kick out of [the rumors]" and said that he "knew" going into the 2020 season that it would be his last.

"I knew I was retiring," Brees told Florio. "It was something I’ve been thinking about at this stage in your career. I think it’s — you really don’t know what that feeling’s going to be like, right? You love the game, it’s been such a big part of your life for so long. You know you can play at a high level still and you’re obviously trying to achieve a goal which is to go win another championship."

According to Brees, the primary motivation for his retirement was wanting to spend more time with his wife and his "four kids that are not so small anymore." Brees said he was looking forward to the next chapter of his life, which he said would be "centered" around his family.