After 20 years in the National Football League, the last 15 with the New Orleans Saints, quarterback Drew Brees's retirement became official Friday via the NFL transactions wire.

Brees was a 15-year team captain and led the Saints to nine playoff appearances, seven division titles, including four consecutive from 2017-2020, and the Super Bowl XLIV championship, where he was named the game's Most Valuable Player. The franchise signal-caller announced he would be retiring from football on March 14 in a social media video from his children.

Brees, 42, retires as the NFL's all-time leader in career passing yards (80,358) and ranks second all time in touchdown passes (571) and completion percentage (67.7 percent). Brees will be remembered for helping to revive the Saints franchise and the city of New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina when he and Coach Sean Payton arrived in 2006.

The duo led the Saints to the NFC Championship Game in that first year and won the only Super Bowl in franchise history three years later.

Brees' next endeavor will be as an NBC Sports studio analyst for "Football Night in America" and a game analyst for NBC's coverage of Notre Dame football.

He also will work at some of NBC Sports' other prominent events including Super Bowl LVI and the Olympics.