Drew Brees To Sign With NBC After NFL Playing Days

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Drew Brees will still be on your TV screen when his playing days with the New Orleans Saints are done, just not in the format you are accustomed to seeing.

Brees will join the NBC broadcast team, where he will be groomed as an eventual replacement for Cris Collinsworth on "Sunday Night Football," according to a report by the New York Post. The contract is set to begin upon Brees' retirement, nola.com reports.

“Like all NFL fans, we look forward to watching Drew continue his Hall of Fame career this fall, and we are confident his post-playing career will be just as successful,” NBC Sports spokesman Greg Hughes told The Post.

According to the report, Brees is expected to start as both a game analyst for Notre Dame football broadcasts on Saturdays and a studio analyst for "Sunday Night Football."

The 41-year-old signed a two-year, $50 million contract last month, signaling his return for his 15th season as the Saints quarterback and 20th NFL season overall. He is the NFL's all-time leader in virtually every major statistic, including passing yards (77,416) and passing touchdowns (547).

Chatter first started circulating about the networks' interest in Brees shortly after the Saints lost to the Vikings 26-20 in the NFC wild-card round Jan. 5, when Brees had yet to announce he was returning for the 2020 season.

Last week, the New York Post reported ESPN was pursuing Brees for a future role in its "Monday Night Football" broadcast, offering something in the range of $6 million annually. The Post's Friday report said Brees' deal with NBC is "competitive" with ESPN's offer.

That salary would be nearly double what former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo made in his first contract with CBS, at three years, $10 million.