Saints quarterback Drew Brees has returned to the team after his mother’s passing. He missed a Saturday scrimmage to be with his family.
There’s an unusual and extremely sad dynamic at play here; Brees had been estranged from his mother, a long-time Austin, Texas attorney.
In 2006, Brees asked his mother, Mina, to stop using his images in commercials aired in connection with her effort to be elected to an appeals court. Brees said at the time that his relationship with his mother was “nonexistent,” tracing the falling out to Brees’ refusal to hire his mother to be his agent.
Mina Brees, 59, took issue with that assertion. “I love Drew very much, and I’m very proud of him. But sometimes when people are following a career path, they change,” she said.
More recently, Mina Brees was involved in a controversy regarding an alleged effort to compel multiple Houston restaurants to pay $20,000 or more each in order to continue to use the names of their businesses.
Per the Associated Press, the cause of death is under investigation. Drew Brees said Monday that he intends to try to play in the team’s preseason opener.
“I’d rather move on and I’m trying to,” he said.
We don’t know who’s to blame regarding the absence of a relationship between Mina and Drew Brees, and our intent isn’t to throw stones at anyone. It’s simply very sad to see a mother and child estranged, and we hope that Drew and his family will find peace and closure in the days to come.