On November 15, 2020, Brees left the Saints’ Week 10 game against the San Francisco 49ers following the first half with a rib injury. Brees completed 8 of 13 passes for 76 yards and a touchdown before leaving the game. The next day, it was revealed Brees had suffered multiple broken ribs and a collapsed lung from the hits he had taken during the game. On November 20, 2020, Brees was placed on injured reserve, thereby ruling him out for at least the following three games. After missing four games, Brees was activated on December 19, 2020, for the Saints' Week 15 game against the Kansas City Chiefs and threw for 234 yards, three touchdowns and one interception; during the Saints' 32–29 loss, Brees surpassed former Canadian Football League (CFL) quarterback Anthony Calvillo for first place in career passing yards in any professional outdoor gridiron football league. During the Saints' next game against the Minnesota Vikings on Christmas Day, Brees became the first quarterback in history to record 80,000 career passing yards as New Orleans won 52–33 to clinch a fourth straight NFC South title. Overall, he finished the 2020 season with 2,942 passing yards, 24 touchdowns, and six interceptions in 12 games.