Longtime New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees has agreed to a two-year contract worth $50 million to stay with the team, according to ESPN.
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The future Hall of Famer and NFL all-time leader in most career completions, passing yards and passing touchdowns has said for years that he would not play for any other team. Last month, the 41-year-old said he would be returning for 2020 although he did not have a contract at the time.
The two-year deal, which extends the per-year value of $25 million from his previous contract, will likely be the last of his storied career.
In addition to being one of the great quarterbacks in NFL history, Brees has been one of the most outspoken Christ-followers in the NFL for years. He accepted Christ in high school on his 17th birthday.
“I was locked in on the pastor as he was talking about how the Lord was looking for a few good men to carry on His Kingdom, to spread His Word, and to live the life that He had planned for them, and that spoke to me,” he said. “And it was at that moment that I accepted Jesus Christ in my heart and knew that there was something bigger planned for me than just sports.”
Last year, Brees appeared in a video by an organization called Focus on the Family, in which he received heavy criticism. During the video, Brees discussed his faith.
“I live by two very simple Christian fundamentals, and that is love the Lord with all your heart, mind and soul, and love your neighbor as yourself,” he said, referencing Mark 12:30-31.
He has also been featured by Sports Spectrum in a video explaining the importance of reading God’s Word:
Despite his age, Brees was one of the best quarterbacks in the league in 2019, when he led the entire NFL with a 74.3 percent completion percentage. He also finished tied for the fifth-most passing touchdowns with 27, although he played in only 11 games due to injury. New Orleans finished the season 13-3 and won the NFC South for the third straight season.
Brees has relied on an accurate right arm to get him to 13 Pro Bowls and lead the NFL in passing yards seven times. After the 2009 season, he quarterbacked the Saints to the franchise’s only Super Bowl victory, a 31-17 win over the Indianapolis Colts in which he earned the Super Bowl MVP.
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