Saints GM: Drew Brees' Return Is Entirely Up To Him

Drew Brees' status after the season is a bit of a mystery. Will he play another season, or is it retirement time?

Well, New Orleans Saints general manager Mickey Loomis said it's entirely up to Brees.

“When you have a quarterback that’s — I don’t like to say at his age, because that doesn’t sound right, but it’s true — it’s been year to year for him for a while," Loomis said on SiriusXM NFL radio, via ProFootballTalk. "It’s up to him each year to determine: ‘Do I want to play next year or not?’"

Brees and the Saints face the Chicago Bears in the first round of the NFC playoffs Sunday, just ahead of Brees' 42nd birthday. He's not necessarily ancient, but when it comes to NFL quarterbacks, he's way, way up there -- especially now that he's suffered a punctured lung and a few broken ribs.

Rumors has it that Brees is headed for a job as a big-time analyst, perhaps as soon as next season. But Brees and Brees alone will make that call when the time is right, Loomis reiterated.

"We give him his space. We give him time at the end of the season to determine that, and we’ll see what happens next year," Loomis said. "I’m not counting him out. It’s going to be entirely up to him."