Former New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees, who retired in 2021 after two decades in the NFL, says he could have "probably" played three more seasons if it weren't for the fact that he can no longer throw with his right arm.

"Honestly, man, if my right arm was still working, I probably would've played another three years," Brees said Thursday, per ESPN's Katherine Terrell. "My body feels great. My body can play, my right arm can't. Unfortunately that's what kind of forced me to step away. And it was time too."

Brees said that he considered returning to the NFL following his 2020 retirement despite his physical limitations.

"I would've run QB draws, I would've done whatever. I would've done some veer option. We would've pulled out all the stops. I was ready. Pull out the high school playbook," Brees said.

But Brees ultimately remained retired due to his right arm, which he admitted on ESPN Radio's Greeny in November no longer allows him to throw even in the backyard.

"I can drop a dime like 30 yards, left-handed. Unfortunately you need a little bit more than that to compete at this level," Brees said, per Terrell.

Brees' arm issues stem back to his 2005 season with the San Diego Chargers, when he dislocated his shoulder while attempting to recover a fumble during a New Year's Eve game against the Denver Broncos.

Brees then underwent surgery with orthopedic surgeon Dr. James Andrews, who later referred to the procedure as unique, Mike Triplett reported for ESPN in 2015.

The former quarterback's labrum suffered a 360-degree tear, and Andrews had to use a career-high 12 anchors to repair the damage, Triplett reported.

Brees has credited Andrews with prolonging his career, but said in November that the injury ultimately "put me on the fast track to a degenerative shoulder and all kind of arthritic changes," per ESPN.

"I hung on as long as I could," Brees said, per Terrell.

Brees announced his retirement in March 2021 having recorded 80,358 career passing yards for the Chargers and Saints. The total still ranks second only to New England Patriots legend Tom Brady for the most in NFL history.

Brees said on Greeny in November that "there might have been a feeler or two" from other NFL teams interested in signing him after his retirement, per ESPN. Instead, the damage to his right shoulder means Brees will have to consider future media or coaching roles if he wants to return to the NFL.