Drew Brees has had an incredible career. Brees is the all-time quarterback leader in passing yards in 77,416, touchdown passes in 547 and completions in 6,867. He also holds the record for the most completions in a single season with 471.
For a player who has been in the league for almost 20 years, Brees does not look like age is slowing him down. Brees has led the NFL in completions per season six times, three in the last seasons, CBS Sports also reports.
Brees first started his career with the San Diego Chargers. He struggled early in his career, totaling 1,125 completions, 12,348 passing yards and 80 touchdown passes in his first five seasons with the Chargers. After signing with the Saints in 2006, the rest was history. Brees, in 14 seasons with the Saints, has currently a 68.8 completion percentage, 467 touchdown passes and 65,068 passing yards.
Brees’ future was in the air, as many believed that he would be retiring after the end of the 2019 season. However, Brees signed a two-year, $50 million contract extension with the Saints. Once Brees decides to retire, he will still have a job as he signed a contract with NBC Sports to be an analyst, according to the Bleacher Report.
The day that Brees decides to call it quits, he will be leaving the game with a list of accomplishments. Brees is a 13-time pro bowler, Super Bowl MVP in 2010, Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year in 2010, Walter Payton Man of the Year in 2006, two time NFL offensive player of the year, seven-time NFL passing yards leader, four-time NFL passing touchdown leader and six-time completion percentage leader.
As much as Brees accomplished a lot of awards individually, he struggled throughout his career to accomplish success with his team. Brees only appeared in the playoffs eight times in 14 seasons. He has made and won the Super Bowl only once, while failing to make the Super Bowl in the other seven playoff appearances.
When comparing the greatest quarterbacks of all time, many put Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Joe Montana and Ben Roethlisberger before Drew Brees. However, Drew Brees holds many quarterback records that get overlooked because he only has one Super Bowl ring.
Many agree that Tom Brady is the greatest quarterback to ever play in the NFL because of all the Super Bowl Rings he has won with the Patriots. Many also put both Tom Brady and Drew Brees as the top two best quarterbacks in NFL history.
When comparing stats, both Brady and Brees come very close in comparison. Brady has played in more games than Brees since Brady started in 2000 and Brees started in 2001. Brady also has more wins than Brees with 219 compared to 163. When it comes to completions, passing yards and touchdown passes, Brees is the all-time leader in each category.
However, in the playoffs, Brady dominates nearly every category. Brady has played in 41 playoff games compared to Brees who has only played in 16. Brady also has way more playoff wins and Super Bowl wins than Brees.
Brees has been able to dominate each season in regular-season play even on a weaker team. Brady has been lucky enough to play on an elite team that has helped gift him with six Super Bowl wins, three in the last six seasons.
It is incredible to see a quarterback like Brees to put-up record-breaking numbers while playing on a weaker team. Granted, the Saints have made the playoffs eight times in the last 14 seasons that Brees was on the team and they did win one Super Bowl title in that span. However, Brady has played on a New England Patriots team that has been to the playoffs 17 times in the last 20 seasons that Brady has been on the team, yet Brees holds majority of the quarterback records.
Brees is known as a quarterback who knows how to break up a defense. There is no need for him to run through the pocket because he has excellent vision and an incredible arm and almost always finds his wide receivers. He also has great footwork and is fast with his quick moves that prevents opposing defenses to sack him.
Brees is arguably one of the best quarterbacks to ever play the game. He has been extremely underrated in the past few seasons due to the overwhelming success of younger quarterbacks in the league like Lamar Jackson, Patrick Mahomes, Dak Prescott and Jared Goff.
However, the numbers that Brees has put up in the last 19 years shows why Drew Brees is one of, if not, the greatest quarterback of all time.