Drew wants to play until 45. Update: Not anymore.

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A few seasons ago, Brees reported to the Saints’ practice facility and announced that he would no longer throw passes on Wednesdays.

Teammates expected the disruption to cause Brees to “lose his mind,” Strief would say later, but this was calculus and the quarterback had done his figuring. The arms of NFL quarterbacks, especially those reconstructed like Brees’s was before signing with the Saints in 2006, are like racing tires: only so much tread in their lifetimes. By then Brees was in his mid-30s and wanted to save some energy for Sundays. And so, yes, the routine changed and neither the Saints facility nor Brees’s emotional state caved in on itself.

Brees, with his analytical mind, is less interested these days in overpowering the odds or doubters than his own body. His legs might be slower, his arm might feel weaker, but his brain is constantly scanning for other advantages. There are more hours dedicated to visualizing plays than there once were, more time spent memorizing scenarios and bracing for possibilities. There are two more numbers that drive him: one more Super Bowl championship, and 45. That’s the age that, if his mind can continue operating faster than his body can deteriorate, he believes he can reach as an NFL quarterback.

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