Drew Brees’ Smart Investments Are Setting Him up for Life After Football
Drew Brees will enter his 20th season in the NFL as one of the best quarterbacks to ever throw a football. Despite being on the wrong side of 40, Brees is still throwing the ball with historic accuracy and helping the Saints continue their streak as perennial contenders. Off the field, however, Brees is already looking at what needs to be done to ensure his stability off the field, and if he keeps it up he could be just as lucrative there, too.
Drew Brees’ NFL career
Despite Brees’ best years coming in New Orleans, his career began in San Diego. A second-round pick out of Purdue, Brees was not immediately believed to be a superstar in the making, but a serviceable option to run an offense. His years in San Diego were impressive, with 2004 being a standout year, but Brees’ true potential was not helped by a franchise that basks in mediocrity.
When the Chargers refused to pay Brees what he wanted, he took his talents to New Orleans, where the dominant player that fans know was born. Brees’ impact was immediate, with a 4,418 yard, 26 touchdown season to kick off the place where he still calls home 14 years later. From there, Brees honed his craft and proved that he was one of the best quarterbacks in the league.
In a league where some of the best quarterbacks can get by on a 60-percent completion rate, Brees began throwing 70-percent seasons on the regular in 2009, and his touchdowns always far outweighed his interceptions. That same year, Brees won his first and, to date, only Super Bowl. He might have been a tier slightly below Tom Brady, but he wasn’t that far behind.
Fast-forward a decade, and Brees is still among the best quarterbacks in the league. Despite a hand injury taking away part of his 2019 season, he maintains his status as an NFL iron man who can consistently win games with his arm alone. Brees’ last two seasons, in which he completed 74-percent of his passes, are the best of his career. At 41 years old, however, Brees is beginning to think about life after football.
Drew Brees: Businessman
Brees is starting to build his portfolio not only to help secure his finances but to give back to the community through his Drew Brees Foundation. Brees began his investment portfolio the way that several other athletes have — with food.
One of his first investments was in Walk-On Sports Bistreaux, a sports-themed sports bar that serves southern food. According to Forbes, Brees owns multiple Jimmy John’s and Dunkin’ franchises and was an early investor in Waitr, a food delivery service.
Recently, however, Brees has gone into the fashion industry by investing in a line of shirts called UNTUCKit. UNTUCKit is a brand that prides itself on looking good without the need to be tucked in.
The company started with a $150,000 investment from the founders, but by 2017 it was worth over $30 million thanks to new investment. With this kind of growth, Brees’ investment, which includes using him for marketing, could prove lucrative.
On top of his wealth, Brees is one of the more generous players in the NFL, donating more than $25 million to a variety of causes around the world.
Life after football
Brees might play for a few more years. With his type of output, age and all, he is still throwing the football in ways that most players in their twenties couldn’t dream of doing. Eventually, he will need to be realistic about his future in the NFL, however.
When he does hang it up, investments such as these should help give him a safety net that allows him to keep the mega paydays while doing whatever he decides to do in his retirement. Brees is already one of the faces of the NFL, but could he be a future face of business, as well?
