Look for ageless Saints QB Drew Brees to play every game as if it’s his last

One day, ironman Drew Brees will not be under center for the New Orleans Saints.

That day isn’t now, nor does it appear imminent, not even as the sure-fire first ballot Hall of Fame quarterback approaches his 18th NFL season and 40th birthday. Oh, at some point Brees will have to retire because no one beats Father Time but Ol’ No. 9 is doing his level best to push back.

So here we are, a few days from the Saints opening the preseason on the road against the Jacksonville Jaguars Thursday at 6 p.m. at TIAA Bank Stadium.

Brees may or may not start. It doesn’t really matter. What’s 10-12 snaps in the grand scheme? I suspect either veteran free agent Tom Savage or promising reserve Taysom Hill will take the bulk of work with fourth-stringer J.T. Barrett perhaps mopping up.

I also suspect Brees will play fewer than 25-30 snaps in the preseason. Why risk it?

Again, how many snaps Brees takes and how many games he starts in preseason is irrelevant. As long as he remains healthy and able to throw to newcomers Tre’Quan Smith and Cameron Meredith during and after practice, Brees will be game ready for the season opener Sept. 9 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.

I can’t speak for Smith and Meredith but Brees will be ready to play.

Fact is, Brees has been ready to play ever since he joined the Saints in January 2006 as a free agent coming off a potential career-ending right shoulder injury and subsequent surgery by orthopedic surgeon Dr. James Andrews.

Consider Brees’ mindboggling numbers in 12 regular seasons with the Saints:

▪ He has started 190 of 190 games played. He has missed two games, only one because of injury (at Carolina in 2015). Coach Sean Payton also held him out of the regular-season finale at Carolina for precautionary reasons during the 2009 Super Bowl season. Both games resulted in losses.

▪ Only two players other than Brees have thrown a TD pass since 2006 — QB Jamie Martin in ‘06 and WR Willie Snead in 2015.

▪ Brees’ durability and annual brilliance essentially made a spectator of reserve quarterback Chase Daniels during five seasons in New Orleans. Daniels (2009-’12, ‘17) threw nine passes, completing seven for 55 yards and no TDs.

▪ Because of Brees, backup quarterbacks have been rendered useless, non factors. Luke McCown threw 40 passes in three seasons, 39 in one start. Mark Brunell threw 30 passes (all in one start) in two seasons. Martin threw 24 passes in two seasons. And Daniels threw nine passes.

▪ In 12 seasons Brees has thrown 7,485 passes, four other quarterbacks 104 passes, and wide receivers Lance Moore and Snead and running back Travaris Cadet one each.

▪ Brees has thrown 408 of the team’s 410 TD passes in New Orleans.

And I suspect, barring injury, we will see more of the same from Brees this season because he doesn’t want to sit, even while winning handily or hopelessly trailing on the scoreboard. And Payton seems unwilling to pull his warrior from a game for any reason.

Payton knows best, I guess, and Brees has earned that right.

The flip side to the argument is we don’t learn anything more about potential understudy Taysom Hill under game conditions or where Saints officials turn after the Brees’ era comes to an end in New Orleans. As long as Brees remains healthy and continues to play at an elite level, it seems GM Mickey Loomis and Payton are comfortable kicking the proverbial can down the road.

At some point, they (or others in positions of authority) will have to deal with the issue.

Meantime, Who Dat Nation should breathe easy. Regardless of what the future holds, look for Brees to play every play as if it’s his last.

Whether it is or not.