NEW ORLEANS — While there’s no way to know for sure whether Sunday’s loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will mark the last time New Orleans Saints quarterback and Westlake High School graduate Drew Brees suits up for the Saints, it’s pretty likely.

If so, it was an inauspicious exit. Coming just two days after his 42nd birthday and in his 20th NFL season, Brees threw three interceptions, the most in his 18 postseason appearances.

His 134 yards passing marked a playoff low.

Following the game, Brees returned to the Superdome field in street clothes and threw passes to his kids, which is not unusual for him. He was joined by Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady.

Next season is Brees’s last under contract, and for now he says he hasn’t made a decision.

“I’ll answer this question one time and that is that I”m going to give myself an opportunity to think about the season, think about a lot of things just like I did last year and make a decision,” Brees said.

This season, Brees missed four games with multiple broken ribs and a punctured lung, but came back in time to see New Orleans through to its fourth straight NFC South crown and a convincing playoff victory over Chicago in the wild-card round.

“I would never regret it. Never. No complaints, no regrets,” Brees said. “I’ve always tried to play this game with a great respect and a great reverence for it, and I appreciate all that this game has given to me.

If it was his last game, Brees’s accomplishments can’t be overstated. The NFL’s all-time leader in yards passing in 1996 was selected as Texas High School 5A Most Valuable Offensive Player and that year led Westlake to a 16-0 record and state championship.

In high school, Brees completed 314 of 490 passes for 5,461 yards and 50 touchdowns. Westlake went 28-0-01 in two seasons with Brees starting.

Brees went on to play for Purdue, becoming one of the most decorated players in Purdue and Big Ten Conference history.

Selected by the San Diego Chargers in the 2001 NFL Draft, Brees debuted as the starter in 2002 and made the Pro Bowl in 2004. He signed with the Saints as a free agent in 2006 and led the team to a 31-17 victory over Indianapolis in Super Bowl XLIV.

“He’s been everything you could imagine a leader could be,” said Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan, Brees’ teammate since 2011. “He’s the first one in, the last one out. Every stereotypical leadership core value you think of, Drew has. He exemplifies everything that he does in terms of wanting to be a better teammate.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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