Imagine throwing for 80,358 yards, 571 touchdowns, 7,142 completions, and a Super Bowl MVP, all on borrowed time. The Saints knew what they had in Drew Brees. The city of New Orleans knew it. He became a symbol and a savior in shoulder pads. But while the fans celebrated the stats, he managed the swelling. While everyone cheered the comebacks, he endured the quiet dislocations. He was disintegrating, and nobody really knew. That’s the harsh reality of being an NFL superstar.

Drew Brees always made it look easy. The impossible throws into even more impossible windows. For nearly two decades, he redefined what greatness looked like at quarterback, especially for guys who didn’t look like quarterbacks. But now, at 46, he’s facing the kind of sobering truth that no touchdown pass can erase. “My right arm does not work,” he told ESPN Radio’s Greeny.

However, his struggles are real. He also revealed that he was now using his left arm to play some backyard football. The Saints legend said, “Look, I’ll let you in on a little fact. 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. If I could, I would absolutely still be playing.” This is the result of playing years of hard, physical football.

And if you think this is just about wear and tear? Look again. This goes back to 2005, pre-Saints, Super Bowl, and icon status. Brees suffered a complete 360-degree labrum tear and partial rotator cuff damage while with the Chargers. Miami doctors told him they couldn’t guarantee a future. They were right. And yet, Dr. James Andrews did the near-impossible, 12 anchors in that shoulder, and somehow, Brees got back up. He didn’t just survive. He thrived. But he knew it came at a cost.

It’s about what the game takes when no one’s watching. And as we celebrate his jaw-dropping records and once-in-a-lifetime poise, we also have to sit with the silence. The stillness of a right arm that gave us everything and has nothing left to give.

Drew Brees makes big career plans

In his life after retirement, the legend is now preparing for the next big push. He wants to coach players who can play just like him. Brees, ever the field general, has long been seen as a natural coach-in-waiting. And in 2022, when Purdue needed someone steady during a head coaching search, he stepped in as interim assistant. “This is an opportunity to represent my school,” he said on College GameDay, his voice full of conviction.

But here’s where it gets interesting, Reggie Bush wants in. “If I played with him, why wouldn’t I coach with him?” he said recently on the Up and Adams show with Kay Adams. There’s something unshakably honest in that statement. Bush doesn’t just admire Brees, he believes in him.

Reggie’s not just talking about it, he’s making moves. Back in December, he interviewed for the head job at Sacramento State. And he’s dreaming bigger. “I would love to come back and be the head coach of USC,” he told The Sporting Tribune’s Arash Markazi. He’s got the fire. That rare mix of charisma and hunger that you don’t always find in former stars.

So don’t write this off as a cute story about nostalgia. This could be real. Two icons who’ve already made magic once. And if they bring that same trust and fire to the coaching ranks? Somebody’s future team just got very lucky.