Drew Brees retires: List of potential replacements for legendary Saints quarterback

Earlier on Sunday, legendary New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees took to social media to announce his retirement from pro football. The 42-year-old stepped down after 20 years in the NFL and with a future Hall of Fame induction surely on the horizon. However, there has now been plenty of talk about the candidates that are in line to replace Brees on the Saints roster. 

Drew Brees retires: Saints legend calls it quits after two decades in the NFL 

On Sunday, Drew Brees called it a career after 20 seasons in the NFL, the last 15 of which he spent with the New Orleans Saints. The two-time offensive Player of the Year announced his retirement via an Instagram post that included his children. In a video clip, Brees' four children, Baylen, Bowen, Callen and Rylen, were heard saying, "After 15 years with the Saints and 20 years in the NFL, our dad is finally gonna retire. So he can spend more time with us! Yeah!!."

Drew Brees replacements: Four superstar QBs that can potentially fill the void left by Brees

While Brees' retirement was widely expected following the Saints' divisional-round playoff defeat against the Buccaneers, here's a look at some of the several Drew Brees replacements options in the Saints roster for the 2021 season. 

• Taysom Hill - The Saints and Taysom reportedly agreed on a four-year, $140 million contract restructure and the 30-year-old appears to be the front-runner to replace Brees for the upcoming season. 
• Jameis Winston - Winston just completed his first season with the Saints. However, the 27-year-old, who is a former league passing champion, has 70 career starts under his belt. There is no doubt that Winston will be gunning to replace Brees as the star man for the Saints in 2021. 
• Russell Wilson - The 32-year-old guided the Seahawks to the Super Bowl title in 2014. It is believed that the Saints were on the list of teams he'd sign for if the Seahawks opted to trade him. 
• Deshaun Watson - The Texans superstar has been eager to leave the franchise and should he do so, the Saints will be keen on swooping in for the three-time Pro Bowler. 

Drew Brees NFL career: Drew Brees Super Bowl triumph in 2010  

Drew Brees retires as the NFL's all-time leader in career passing yards (80,358) and ranks second all-time in touchdown passes (571) and completion percentage (67.7%). Brees also led the New Orleans Saints to the team's first Super Bowl championship in 2010. 

He had previously spent five years with the San Diego Chargers before joining the Saints in 2006. 

Image Credits - nfl.com