Former NFL quarterback Drew Brees spoke in Canton, Ohio, about playing quarterback into your 40s ahead of his Pro Football Hall of Fame induction this weekend.
During a Raising Cane's event in Ohio, the 47-year-old former signal caller gave the Daily Mail a first-hand account of the sacrifice required to stay at the top of the game and compete against rivals coming out of college.
Brees, who was the Most Valuable Player in Super Bowl XLIV, discussed how quarterback play connects to current Canton candidates Aaron Rodgers, 42, and Matthew Stafford, 38. Stafford enters the 2026 season as the league's reigning MVP.
Over his career, Brees played through multiple eras as the league shifted from an out-of-touch rest and recovery process to a mindful approach of repairing the body for the weekly grind of a 16-game, and now 17-game, season.
He discussed his experience repairing his body on a weekly basis following a severe shoulder injury suffered in 2006. That year, Brees left the San Diego Chargers and signed with the New Orleans Saints, the only team to take a chance on an undersized and injured quarterback.
"That shoulder injury in '06, I knew that at some point there was gonna be a drop," Brees said when reflecting on that period of his career.
Recovering from Injury and Rebuilding
"So much of that was what was I doing every offseason to rebuild the foundation for the shoulder, and give it the strength and the stability and be as mechanically sound as I possibly could," Brees said.
"I just locked in on my recovery and diet and sleep habits and everything that goes into getting your body ready to play the game," Brees added.
Brees acknowledged that while a quarterback is in the twilight of their career, they can also become the best version of themselves by spending decades polishing their football acumen.
"I feel like there's a window of time not until maybe age 35 where you're still physically able to play at a high level, and when you can match up the physical abilities that you still have with knowledge, experience, wisdom," Brees said. "That's when you're riding at this level of elite."
Veteran Advantage Over Young Quarterbacks
The NFL has moved on to a new wave of superstar quarterbacks including Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson and Caleb Williams. However, Brees emphasized that stacking years on the gridiron is just as important as athletic ability.
"I think that's where the veteran guys have the advantage over the young gunslingers," Brees explained. "The young guys are invincible as far as their athleticism and what they can put their bodies through and all that stuff, [but] they just don't have the experience yet, and they gain that with each rep. But, the veteran guys have it all."
Rodgers, a four-time NFL MVP, enters his 22nd season under center and his second season with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Following Mike Tomlin's resignation, Rodgers is reunited with former head coach Mike McCarthy, the same tandem that won Super Bowl XLV in the 2010-11 season.
Stafford will be 39 years old when the next season wraps as he looks to bring another title to the Los Angeles Rams. The Rams reinforced their defense with the blockbuster acquisition of 2025 NFL Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett.
Brees expressed confidence that the 2025 NFL MVP has several years left to achieve something special. "I've told Matthew Stafford directly that you could have three or four of the best years of your career coming up!" Brees said.
