Where does Drew Brees rank among greatest NFL quarterbacks?

Drew Brees, the beloved son of the “Big Easy,” officially retired from the NFL after 20 seasons on Monday. The future Hall of Famer is no question the greatest player to ever put on a Saints uniform, but where does he rank among the greatest NFL quarterbacks? Playing in an era alongside Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, and Ben Roethlisberger (each of them has more than one Super Bowl win) certainly doesn’t help his case for GOAT, but it would be foolish not to put Brees in the conversation.

If a great storyline alone could get you in the Hall of Fame, Brees would get in on that easily. His road to success was unlikely, some might even say nearly impossible. Coming out of Westlake High School in Austin, Texas, Brees was an undersized quarterback with an average arm at best. With only two scholarship offers, he chooses to play at Purdue University. While with the Boilermakers, he went on to become an offensive co-captain and lead the team to its first Big Ten Conference Title since 1967. After setting 13 conference records and 19 Purdue records, Brees was picked in the second round of the 2001 NFL draft by the San Diego Chargers.

After a few slow seasons, he has a breakout year in 2004, only to follow it up with a potentially career-ending shoulder injury. With hope for a comeback all but gone, Brees is offered a second chance from head coach Sean Payton and New Orleans Saints. 

Brees, the Saints organization, and the city of New Orleans all needed each other, especially following Hurricane Katrina in 2006. Brees gave a city reeling from such a seismic natural disaster something they desperately needed: hope. Bringing the team’s first and only Super Bowl XLIV victory solidified him as one of the most revered figures ever in the city of New Orleans.  

To go along with his Super Bowl XLIV ring and MVP award, Brees has a large collection of impressive accolades. He is a two-time Offensive Player of the Year (2008, 2011), Walter Payton Man of the Year (2006), a 13-time Pro Bowler, and has led the league in passing yards multiple times (7), passing touchdowns (4), passer rating (2), and completion percentage (6). 

Brees also holds some of the most important passing records in NFL history, including most career passing yards, most career completions, and most 5,000 passing yard seasons. Although Tom Brady is most likely going to break some of those records, it is safe to say that Brees is definitely among the most accurate and consistent quarterbacks to ever play in the NFL.

Now, to the main question at hand. Where does Brees rank in the G.O.A.T quarterback discussion? With the exception of a few die-hard Saints fans, Brees does not come close to Tom Brady. While they can be equally comparable in terms of longevity stats, the lack of playoff wins is the main reason why Brady is above Brees. Brady has won four Super Bowls since Brees last appeared in one in the 2009-10 season.

After Brady comes names like Joe Montana, Peyton Manning, Brett Favre, and Johnny Unitas. Because of Super Bowl wins and appearances, as well as league MVPs, I put Montana and Manning at the number two and three spots, respectively. 

Number four is where Drew Brees enters the discussion for me. This is where you are putting Brees up against Favre and Unitas. I have Unitas at number four, but the debate can be had over whether Brees’s accuracy and consistency without a stellar throwing arm proved more impressive. 

The decision to put Favre over Brees is also a tough one, considering they have very comparable careers. The main reason I did so was that Favre held the majority of the records that Brees eventually broke. Yes, it took Brees fewer games to do so, but some credit is due to Favre for being one of the pioneering dart-throwers in the game and pathed the trail for players like Brees.

Though I chose not to, you could also point out that Favre has three regular seasons MVP awards to Brees’s zero. While it is a significant feat that Favre is one of four players in NFL history to win the award at least three times, Brees was constantly going up against the other three who have also accomplished that feat: Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, and Aaron Rodgers.

Whether you agree or disagree with my assessment of Drew Brees as the sixth-best quarterback in NFL history, fans of the game can all agree that the former Saints quarterback (that’s going to take some time getting used to) is headed to Canton in his first year of eligibility. And rightfully so.