Unlike fellow star quarterback Tom Brady who is leaving the Patriots, Drew Brees is sticking with the New Orleans Saints.
The six-foot, 41-year-old Texas veteran was reported on Tuesday to have agreed to a new two-year $50 million deal to stay in New Orleans
Brees, who has spent the last 14 years of his 19 in the NFL with the Saints, led them to the playoffs last season. He was seeking a second Super Bowl ring, having won his first with them in 2010.
The Saints were one of the New Jersey sportsbooks’ favorites to win Super Bowl LVI. They were unexpectedly ousted, however, by the Minnesota Vikings in the NFC wildcard clash.
Brees threw for 2,979 yards and 27 touchdowns in 11 games during the season after having been sidelined with a thumb injury.
Compared to Brady’s six titles, Brees, has only won the Super Bowl once. That was in 2010 when he tied the Super Bowl record of 32 pass completions and was named the game’s MVP.
Brees has out-distanced Brady in some areas
He has, however, outdistanced Brady, the man they call the NFL’s greatest ever QB, in many other avenues. Here are just a few.
He has thrown for more career yards (74, 571) than any other NFL quarterback in NFL history, including Brady, who is 2,845 yards behind him.
This is partly because he’s been the NFL passing leader in seven seasons (2006, 2008, 2011, 2012, 2014–2016).
He also surpassed Brady as the passing touchdown leader in 2008, 2009 and 20ll. That helped give him 547 career passing touchdowns and has put him first in the NFL with Brady 251 yards behind him.
Below we give a long list of his many achievements including his being a 13-time Pro Bowler as against Brady’s 14. So yes, the man is right up there amongst the NFL’s finest quarterbacks of all time.
With a few more Super Bowl rings, he could even have been neck and neck with Brady as the all time greatest.
Brees’ leading achievements
- Super Bowl champion (XLIV)
- Super Bowl MVP (XLIV)
- 13x Pro Bowl (2004, 2006, 2008–2014, 2016–2019)
- First-team All-Pro (2006)
- 4× Second-team All-Pro (2008, 2009, 2011, 2018)
- 2× NFL Offensive Player of the Year (2008, 2011)
- Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year (2010)
- Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year (2010)
- Bert Bell Award (2009)
- Art Rooney Award (2018)
- Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year (2006)
- NFL Comeback Player of the Year (2004)
- 7× NFL passing yards leader (2006, 2008, 2011, 2012, 2014–2016)
- 4× NFL passing touchdowns leader (2008, 2009, 2011, 2012)
- 2× NFL passer rating leader (2009, 2018)
- 5× NFL completion percentage leader (2009-2011, 2017, 2018)
- Maxwell Award (2000)
- Big Ten Player of the Year (2000)
- 2× Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year (1998, 2000)
- Bart Starr Award (2011)
Brees’ NFL records
- Most career passing yards
- Most career pass completions
- Highest career completion percentage
- Highest single-season completion percentage
- Most consecutive games with a touchdown pass
- Most pass completions in a season
- Most 5,000 yard passing seasons
- Most touchdown passes in a game (tied)