Drew Brees Says His Right Arm 'Does Not Work,' Throws Left-Handed After NFL Career | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats, and Rumors
Former NFL quarterback Drew Brees has become a southpaw thanks to all of the wear and tear he put on his right arm during his 20 years in the league.
Brees said Tuesday on ESPN Radio's Greeny he throws left-handed because "my right arm does not work." He said the trouble dates all the way back to when he dislocated his shoulder in January 2006.
ESPN Radio @ESPNRadioHold up…Drew Brees is a lefty now? (No, not clickbait)<br><br>Great story from <a href="">@drewbrees</a> about how his famous shoulder injury in 2005 still impacts him today. <a href="">
That injury was a transformative moment in more ways than one. It set the stage for Philip Rivers to take over as the San Diego Chargers' starting quarterback and for the New Orleans Saints to sign Brees as a free agent.
ESPN's Tom Friend reported in April 2006 the Miami Dolphins pursued him as well but were put off by the shoulder injury. Nick Saban, Miami's coach at the time, later said the 13-time Pro Bowler didn't pass the team's physical.
Brees proceeded to have one of the most prolific runs in NFL history during a 15-year spell in New Orleans. He briefly held the all-time records for passing yards and touchdown passes before Tom Brady sailed past him in both categories.
Eventually the bill came due for Brees with regard to his right shoulder. By the time his career was drawing to a close, his skills were clearly diminishing.
"It became a great struggle to be healthy enough to go out there and really perform at the highest level just with the limitations that I had," he told the AP Pro Football Podcast in October 2022. "I could dice you up inside of 40 yards all day long. But it became it harder and harder to do things downfield."
Brees added he thought he would have been able to play until he was 45 like Brady "if my arm wasn't put together with 13 anchors."
The 44-year-old is destined for the Hall of Fame and stamped his place as one of the best QBs ever. But building that legacy exacted a great physical cost.
