Scooter Hobbs

There’s breaking news on the Drew Brees dilemma.

It came via Twitter, of course, a picture Brees posted of himself that raised puzzling questions and sent mixed signals because it was quickly retweeted by most of America.

The news of the Brees picture was confirmed by Instagram and possibly TikTok.

In said photo, Brees is holding a football and he looks quite comfortable doing it. He is not actually “throwing” the football, but it certainly appears that he could if he wanted to and probably did give it a ride some micro-seconds after the photo was snapped.

The real ramifications, however, may require further study.

Analysts were scrutinizing the picture for hidden clues and subliminal meanings when one of them decided to actually read the accompanying text … which fairly well explained the high-tech sleeve that covered Brees’ right elbow.

Blow the picture up enough and the sleeve is revealed to be from the product line of an outfit called Copper Compression.

Copper Compression dabbles in the medical field that also includes those copper bracelets that reputedly will take some of the aches and pains out of creaky joints growing old.

You see them around golf courses all the time, particularly the senior tees.

Brees, it turns out, has a stake in the company, an enthusiastic one at that, if his previous tweets mean anything.

“Throughout my career, I’ve tried a number of different things to help with muscle pain and recovery,” one from Jan. 27 revealed. “I like the look, feel, and the results I get with Copper Compression, and that’s why I’ve chosen to partner w(ith) them.”

Tuesday’s illustrated update, in fact, may just be nothing more than an endorsement from a very famous athlete of a product he believes in and has a vested interest in. There’s even the DREW20 code that might land you a 20-percent discount.

A promotional tweet, as it were.

All of which is perfectly legal in most states as well as the known Twittersphere.

So there’s really no substantial news there, at least regarding Brees’ retirement plans with the New Orleans Saints.

Still to be determined is why, in the photo, Brees appears to be at least slightly sticking out the very tip of his tongue at something or somebody.

It’s probably nothing.

Ah, but I had you going there for a second or two, huh?

Anyway, there was no discernible update on Brees’ retirement plans … or lack thereof.

So, for now, we must stick with the belief that the Saints without Brees — unthinkable to a whole generation of Who Dats — is still a foregone conclusion.

The holdup on the announcement is puzzling.

Most expected it shortly after the Saints were eliminated from the playoffs.

Maybe he really is mulling it over. Only after the season was over did it come to light that, in addition to the collapsed lung and 11 broken ribs that forced him to miss four games, he also played with a torn rotator cuff and a foot injury.

No wonder at times it appeared his fastball had lost a little flash.

If he lost anything last year it was the uncanny ability to throw to open mediocre receivers — and injuries to Michael Thomas left no other kind,

Maybe, in the back of his mind, he’s wondering what it might be like to play healthy again, just one more year.

Doubtful.

After a relatively injury-free run since rescuing the Saints, it was also the second season in a row that he missed substantial time, which just might be related to Father Time.

You would think he’s already made the decision to retire.

Head coach Sean Payton said a few weeks ago that he expected the decision to be announced in the coming weeks.

Why the hold up?

Who knows?

But I think we can all agree that however and whenever Brees wants to handle it, he’s certainly earned that right.

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Scooter Hobbs covers LSU

athletics. Email him at

shobbs@americanpress.comScooter Hobbs (American Press)