At a Glance
- Drew Brees left NBC after one season to coach and watch his four kids on weekends
- His children-Baylen, 17, Bowen, 15, Callen, 13, and Rylen, 11-starred in his 2021 retirement video
- The former Saints quarterback now spends Fridays and Saturdays at their games and events
- Why it matters: Shows how elite athletes prioritize family time once the stadium lights dim
Drew Brees walked away from a lucrative NBC broadcast booth because weekend travel collided with the youth-sports calendars of his four children. In a candid interview with The Spun, the retired quarterback said, “The reason I didn’t do it this year, from a broadcasting perspective, is my family. You have to be gone for the weekends, and that’s what I basically did as a player. These are such valuable moments for my kids. I want to be as active and involved in their weekend activities. That doesn’t quite mesh right now with a broadcasting career.”
The Retirement Video That Went Viral
In February 2021 Brees recruited his kids to announce the end of his 20-season NFL career. Sitting on a couch, the four siblings took turns reading a script: “After years on the Saints and 20 years in the NFL, our dad is finally going to retire-so he can spend more time with us!” The clip, posted to Instagram, racked up millions of views within hours.
Meet the Brees Lineup
Baylen Robert Brees, born January 15, 2009, is the family’s self-appointed “swag king.” During a 2021 Saints game he danced in the stands; when asked afterward which child had the moves, Drew instantly replied, “It’s probably my oldest son, Baylen.” The 17-year-old also designs custom cleats for Saints players through the NFL’s My Cause, My Cleats program. “We went home with like six boxes of cleats on Monday,” Drew said, listing Teddy Bridgewater, Taysom Hill, Marshon Lattimore, Deonte Harris and Michael Thomas among Baylen’s clients.
Bowen Christopher Brees arrived October 19, 2010, after Drew crowdsourced unusual “B” names on Twitter, collecting more than 6,000 suggestions. The 15-year-old plays both football and baseball; Drew captured Bowen’s first over-the-fence grand slam in May 2023 and posted the video to Instagram. “Proud father moment…hit his first home run today…GRAND SLAM actually,” the caption read.
Callen Christian Brees, born August 15, 2012, mimicked his dad’s spin-move touchdown against the Falcons during a 2021 flag-football game. The Saints’ official account edited the two clips side-by-side with the caption “Like father, like son.” Off the field, Callen throws axes and fishes; Drew once posted that the pair landed a “rare trifecta” of Greenjack and Skipjack on a father-son trip.
Rylen Judith Brees, the only girl, was born August 25, 2014. Drew announced her arrival on Twitter: “Spent the early morning with our new baby girl!…I actually got to take the snap, so to speak, catch her on the way out.” The 11-year-old competes in gymnastics and flag football; Drew shared video of her defending like “a real NFL DB” in the Saints’ indoor facility.
Life After Football
Since stepping away from NBC, Brees coaches youth teams and attends every game, meet and recital. On the Todd Durkin Impact Show he admitted, “At times, I have to overly police myself with my overzealousness during a game. Basically what I tell them is, ‘I don’t care about the result of today. All I want to see, I want to see effort. I want to see great effort.'”
The four children split their time between New Orleans-where Drew built a backyard airbrush studio for Baylen’s cleat designs-and the family’s post-retirement home base. Weekends now revolve around tournament brackets and dance rehearsals instead of production meetings and cross-country flights.
Drew and Brittany, college sweethearts from Purdue, married in 2003 and quickly embraced the chaos of a four-child household. “It’s just such a blessing to be able to play, to be able to be with your friends, to be able to play this sport,” Drew tells his kids before every game. “And I just wanna see effort. I wanna see you having fun.”
Key Takeaways
- Brees traded Sunday-night lights for Saturday-morning sidelines after one season in the broadcast booth
- Each child has inherited a slice of athletic DNA, from Baylen’s design skills to Rylen’s gymnastics medals
- The family’s 2021 retirement video remains a social-media favorite, symbolizing the shift from NFL stadiums to youth-league fields
