Drew Brees

At 45 years old, Drew Brees has this physical status:

Drew Christopher Brees (born January 15, 1979) is an American football quarterback for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. (NFL)

He was selected by the San Diego Chargers with the first pick in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft following a fruitful college football career at Purdue University.

He began college as one of Purdue and Big Ten Conference history's most popular players, 13 Big Ten Conference records, and 19 Purdue University records.

He is the Big Ten leader in several passing categories, including completions (1,026), attempts (1,678), and yards (11,792).

Brees has been praised for his many career achievements and records, as well as being one of the best quarterbacks of all time.

Brees joined the Saints as a free agent nine months after suffering a dislocation in his right shoulder joint and a tear of the labrum and rotator cuff.

He was on display in New Orleans, leading the Saints to their first Super Bowl in Super Bowl XLIV, which culminated in a 31–17 victory over the Indianapolis Colts. Since joining the Saints, he has led all NFL quarterbacks in touchdowns, passing yards, and 300-yard games.

Brees holds the NFL record for career pass completions, career completion percentage, career passing yards, and career touchdown passes, ranking third in regular season career passer ratings and fourth in postseason career passer rating.

He tied for the first time in consecutive games with a touchdown pass in 2012.

He has passed for over 5,000 yards in a season five times, more than any other NFL quarterback has done so.

He has led the NFL in passing yards a record seven times and in passing touchdowns by a record four times.

In 2004, he was the NFL's Comeback Player of the Year in 2008 and 2011, and the MVP of Super Bowl XLIV.

Brees is the year's greatest sportsman of the year, according to Sports Illustrated.

Early life and high school

Drew Christopher Brees was born in Dallas on January 15, 1979, to Eugene Wilson "Chip" Brees II, a well-known trial advocate, and Mina Ruth (née Akins; died 2009) an advocate. In the Battle of Okinawa, his grandfather participated. According to a Sports Illustrated story, he was named for Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Drew Pearson, but Brees said this story was "just legend." Reid (born 1981) is his younger brother. When Brees was seven, his parents divorced and shared custody of the boys, who split their time between both parents. Brees acknowledges that it was a tough and challenging time after the divorce; however, he and his younger brother, Reid, continued to help each other and became close. Audrey, their father's remarriage to Amy Hightower, the daughter of late U.S. Representative Jack English Hightower, has a younger half-sister. (D-TX)

Both of Brees' parents were involved in athletics. His father played basketball at Texas A&M, and his mother was a former all-state athlete in three sports in high school. Marty Akins, the Texas Longhorns' beginning quarterback, was a three-time college football coach, and his maternal grandfather, Ray Akins, won the third time as a Texas high school football coach in his three decades at Gregory-Portland High School. Reid, Reid's younger brother, was an outfielder for the Baylor Bears baseball team, which made the 2005 College World Series; Reid now lives in Colorado, where he works in sales.

Brees did not play football until high school and was on the flag football team at St. Andrew's Episcopal School, where his classmates included actor Ben McKenzie, who was in the same year. He was a varsity letterman in baseball, basketball, and football, and he preferred playing college baseball rather than football in high school. After Brees blew out his knee in the 11th grade, college recruiters rushed. He was named Texas High School Most Valuable Offensive Player in 1996 and led the Austin Westlake High School football team to a 16–0 record and a state championship after surviving the ACL tear. Brees completed 314 of 490 passes (64.1 percent) for 5,461 yards (including 50 touchdowns in his senior season, 211 of 333 passes (63.4 percent) for 3,528 yards with 31 touchdowns. Westlake went 28–0–1-1 and defeated a Dominic Rhodes-led Abilene Cooper 55–15 in the 1996 title game as Brees began for two seasons. Along with former San Diego Chargers teammate and longtime friend LaDainian Tomlinson, he was given an honorable mention in the state high school all-star football team and the USA Today All-USA high school football team. Despite being drafted well, Brees had hoped to follow in his father and uncle's footsteps and play for the Texas Longhorns or Texas A&M Aggies.

Personal life

Brittany Dudchenko, his college sweetheart, was married in February 2003 by Brees. The couple have four children together; three sons were born in January 2009, October 2010, and August 2012, with a daughter being born in August 2014.

Brees escaped to New Orleans shortly after Hurricane Katrina's devastation. He admits that it was difficult to return to a city in the aftermath of the hurricane; however, he and Brittany immediately fell in love with the city's culture and "soul"; They bought and renovated a home in Uptown New Orleans, where they now live. In a private interview, Brees admits that his family is now complete, particularly because three boys and one girl were always the couple's dream. Both four children were born in New Orleans and are being raised there. Brees' four main goals are faith, family, football, and philanthropy; also known as the "four F's" by Brees. Brees owned a house in San Diego until he sold it in 2012.

Brees is a Christian. Brees was raised as a Christian but he confessed to being committed at age 17 when he was attending church with a torn ACL and was wondering who he was and what his purpose was in life. In 2005, Brees went through other difficulties, including breaking his shoulder; but, he maintains that these failures only improved his relationship with God.

When he was younger, a birthmark on the right side of his face fueled bullying.

Brees' first book, Coming Back Stronger: Discovering the Uninhibited Power of Adversity, was published on July 6, 2010. Chris Fabry co-authored it. Stronger is back on the top of The New York Times' nonfiction bestseller list.

Brees appeared in Entourage's Season 7 finale in 2010.

Mina Brees, Brees' mother, died on August 7, 2009, aged 59, from a prescription drug overdose. The death was declared a suicide. Brees were briefly barred from training camp due to a "family matter." Brees characterized their friendship as "nonexistent" after he refused to recruit his mother as his agent when he first began playing football, saying she undercut his dealings with other agents and tried to sell a book about him without his knowledge, and later this year, he advised her not to use his image in TV commercials during her campaign for the Texas 3rd Court of Appeals. Brees said that this quote was three years old and that his mother's friendship had been growing since his death. He wrote in his autobiography, which was published almost a year later, that their friendship had been on the mend and that she was looking forward to seeing his son, her first grandchild.

Fans selected Brees as the top athlete of EA Sports Madden's NFL 11 video game in April 2010.

In honor of late baseball player Ted Williams, the Brees wears #9 on his uniform.

Brees has earned the nicknames "Boesus" by Saints fans and "Cool Brees," which he obtained during his younger years for his quietness under pressure.

Brees, a multi-level marketing company that manufactures weight management, nutritional supplement, and personal care products, became the national spokesperson for AdvoCare International, which is a multi-level marketing firm that produces weight management, nutritional supplement, and personal care products, on March 30, 2010.

Brees owns a number of restaurant franchises. He purchased a 25% interest in "Walk-On's Bistreaux & Bar," a sports bar that opened in Baton Rouge and is now expanding to other Gulf Coast states. In Midland, Texas, he opened a Walk-On's Restaurant in 2019. Brees said in initial discussions with Walk-On that he was interested in sharing some of the lessons he had learned as a Jimmy John's franchise owner. As of August 2019, he currently owns nine Jimmy John's stores, with a tenth under construction. Carl Buergler, Jimmy John's director of operations, played football for Purdue with Brees.

Brees sent a personalized football and letter to all players who helped him reach the record for all-time passing yards when Brees broke the NFL record for all-time passing yards.

Tom House, a former Major League Baseball player and mentor, is employed by the Brees as his mechanics coach.

Brees joined San Diego Surf Sports in 2019 to help with the San Diego youth sports scene.

Brees follow a strict diet, with a penchantance of gluten, dairy, and nuts due to food allergies. He also has a regular exercise schedule, focusing on core strength exercises rather than heavy weight training.

Brees was a Republican but later changed his party allegiance to Independent.

Brees told Yahoo Finance on June 3, 2020 that he stood by his 2016 decision that kneeling during the national anthem was disrespectful to the flag and to the United States. Several of his coworkers and other professional athletes expressed disappointment and indignation at the news. He apologised early the next day.

Source

College career

Brees were accepted by only two universities, Purdue and Kentucky, for their highly rated academics. He obtained a degree in industrial administration in 2001 and is a member of Sigma Chi fraternity.

Brees got his first start by Boilermakers head coach Joe Tiller and became a vital piece of Tiller and Jim Chaney's unorthodox "basketball on grass" spread offense, serving as offensive captain throughout his junior and senior years. He had the opportunity to make himself available for the 2000 NFL Draft but decided against doing so in his senior year to complete his education. In 2000, he led the Boilermakers to a thrilling last-minute upsets against top-ranked Ohio State and Michigan en route to the Boilermakers' first Big Ten championship (shared with Michigan and Northwestern). On ESPN Classic, the Ohio State game was replayed on ESPN Classic, and Brees' four interceptions and 64-yard touchdown pass to Seth Morales with 1:55 remaining, securing a crucial 31–27 victory, prompting commentator Brent Musburger to exclaim, "Holy Toledo!" There's a lot of people on the field, as well as a post-game huddle. Purdue gained the invitation to the 2001 Rose Bowl, the school's first appearance since 1967, thanks to head-to-head victories over Michigan and Northwestern.

In 1999, Brees was a finalist for the Davey O'Brien Award as the country's best quarterback. He received the Maxwell Award as the nation's best player of 2000 and the NCAA's Top VIII Award as a member of the Class of 2001. In 1999 and 2000, Brees finished fourth in Heisman Trophy voting, and third in 2000. Brees was the first Boilermaker since Bruce Brineman in 1989 to be named Academic All-America honors as a senior. In addition, he received the Big Ten Medal of Honor and the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Award three times, and was also named in Academic All-Big Ten honors a record three times. The Leonard Wilson Award was also given to Brees for unselfishness and dedication.

Brees set two NCAA records, 13 Big Ten Conference records, and 19 Purdue University records in his college career. He left Purdue with Big Ten Conference records in passing yards (11,792), touchdown passes (90), total offensive yards (12,693), and attempts (1,678). On September 25, 1999, quarterback Vinny Sutherland broke the NCAA record for pass attempts in a game (83) for 15 years until Washington State quarterback Connor Halliday broke it in October 2013.

Brees was inducted into the Intercollegiate Athletics Hall of Fame in Purdue in 2009. In 2011, the Griese-Brees Quarterback of the Year award, which was established in 2011, was named in his and Bob Griese's honor. He was named the best quarterback of the 1990s by the Big Ten Icons, the conference's top fifty student athletes.

Professional career

Brees' college success led to rumors that he would be a late first-round draft pick in the 2001 NFL Draft, but he fell due to questions over his relatively short stature for a professional quarterback (6'), a reported lack of arm strength, and a suspicion that he was winning in college in a spread offense. In the 2001 NFL Draft, Brees was the second quarterback selected behind Virginia Tech's Michael Vick. With the 32nd overall pick, he was selected by the San Diego Chargers with the first pick of the second round. San Diego had the first pick in the first round but lost it to Atlanta (who drafted Vick) in exchange for the fifth pick of the first round, in which San Diego selected LaDainian Tomlinson.

Brees was Doug Flutie's backup quarterback in his rookie season, winning all 16 games. In Week 8, Brees played in his first professional game against the Kansas City Chiefs on November 4, 2001. He came out to help Flutie, who had sustained a concussion. He had 221 passing yards and his first career passing touchdown, as well as a 20-yard pass to Freddie Jones. Brees' first appearance as a rookie was during the game against the Chiefs.

He was named starter for the 2002 season over Doug Flutie on August 19, 2002. All 16 games for the Chargers were played by the Brees. The Chargers got off to a good start with a 6–1 record, but they fell apart with a 2–7 record in the last nine games to finish 8–8. He had 3,284 passing yards, 17 touchdowns, and 16 interceptions during his 2002 season.

Brees defeated the Oakland Raiders 34–31 in Week 4 of the 2003 season. On a pass kicked by LaDainian Tomlinson, they made a 21-yard touchdown reception. Brees was suspended by Flutie after a rough start to the 2003 season, but he recovered his position by Week 15. He had 2,108 passing yards, 11 touchdowns, and 15 interceptions in 11 games.

After San Diego acquired Philip Rivers of NC State in the 2004 NFL Draft, Brees' career with the Chargers was in jeopardy. With a looming quarterback controversy, he did well in training camp and the preseason, while the Rivers were held out during training camp, effectively guaranteeing Brees the job with Rivers as his backup.

During the 2004 season, the Brees remained the starter, where he appeared in 15 games and led the team to a 12–4 record. In Week 8, he was 22 of 25 for 281 yards and five touchdowns against the Oakland Brownbacks, winning his first AFC Offensive Player of the Week award. Brees had a dazzling season, rushing for 3,559 yards with 27 touchdowns to only seven interceptions, earning him a 104.8 passer rating. For the first time in ten seasons, the Chargers won the AFC West, and Brees was selected to the 2004 Pro Bowl. He was named 2004 NFL Comeback Player of the Year by the Associated Press. In the 20-17 overtime loss to the New York Jets, Brees had 319 passing yards, two passing touchdowns, and one interception.

Brees was a free agent after the 2004 season and was not expected to return to San Diego, which had already pledged a substantial amount of money to Rivers. Brees was eventually branded a franchise player by the team, earning him a one-year deal that increased his compensation to $8 million for 2005. Brees was able to be traded or to sign with another team under the franchise player agreement, but the Chargers will have two future first-round draft picks in exchange. He was not traded and continued as the starting quarterback for the remainder of the 2005 season.

Brees helped win by 41–17 over the New England Patriots after a 1–2 start. He was 19 of 24 for 248 passing yards and two touchdowns on the campaign and was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week for the effort. With 3,576, he set a new record in passing yards. The Brees also had an 89.2 rating, the 10th highest in the NFL. However, Brees tore his labrum while trying to pick up his own fumble after being struck by Broncos safety John Lynch in the last game of the 2005 season. Gerard Warren, a Denver quarterback, collided with Brees while on the ground, causing the injury. On January 5, 2006, Brees underwent arthroscopic surgery to repair the torn labrum in his right (throwing) shoulder. Dr. Saby Szajowitz also treated rotator cuff injury, causing him to recover and regain muscle mobility, according to subsequent reports.

The Chargers gave Brees a five-year, $50 million deal beginning with the season, with the remainder heavily based on performance incentives.

Brees met with other teams after the Chargers refused to raise their bid. Brees were a big deal for the New Orleans Saints and the Miami Dolphins. The first year and a $12 million option the second year, New Orleans made an offer that included $10 million in pledged money the first year and a $12 million option the second year. Brees' shoulder was completely healed, but doctors advised the team not to sign him due to the injury. Instead, the Dolphins ended talks and traded for Minnesota Vikings quarterback Daunte Culpepper. On March 14, 2006, the Brees agreed to a six-year, $60 million contract with the Saints. Nick Saban resigned and left for Alabama as a result of the Dolphins' decision not to sign Brees.

Brees had a fruitful first year with the Saints. The team, under first-year head coach Sean Payton, recovered from a disappointing 2005 season as a result of Hurricane Katrina's devastation to play in New Orleans, when they were unable to play in New Orleans due to the team's inability and lost to a 3–13 record and finished with a 10–6 regular season record and the NFC South division championship. He had 314 passing yards and three touchdowns against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on November 5, earning his first NFC Offensive Player of the Week accolade. He threw for a career-high 510 passing yards, two touchdowns, and three interceptions during a 31–16 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals on November 19. He won his second NFC Offensive Player of the Week award in 2006 in Week 14, defeating the Dallas Cowboys 42-17. Brees threw a league-leading and franchise record 4,418 passing yards, ranked third in the league with 26 touchdown passes and 11 interceptions, and had a 96.2 passer rating. Brees was named starting quarterback for the NFC in the 2007 Pro Bowl and was named as a First-Team All-Pro. According to the Associated Press, Brees was voted first runner-up behind former colleague Tomlinson for league MVP on January 5, 2007. The Walter Payton Football Man of the Year Award's co-recipients were Brees and Tomlinson.

In the Divisional Round at the Louisiana Superdome on January 13, 2007, Brees was 20–of–32 in passing attempts against the Philadelphia Eagles in his first playoff game for New Orleans. The Saints won 27–24, and then advanced to their first NFC Championship Game against the Chicago Bears. Despite his completion of 27 of 49 passes for 354 yards and two touchdowns, Brees had three costly turnovers and was fined for an unlawful grounding in the endzone, resulting in a safety, as the Saints lost in the NFC Championship by a score of 39–14. During the first quarter of the Pro Bowl, Brees dislocated his left elbow.

The Saints' second season got off to a 0–4 start, with three losses in that period, including at least 17 points. However, the Saints started winning streaks right after Week 5. He won NFC Offensive Player of the Week in Week 8, a 31-10 victory over the San Francisco 49ers. The Saints were back to.500 with a 4–4 record after their previous game, a 41–24 triumph over the Jacksonville Jaguars. He had 315 passing yards and two touchdowns in Week 15, giving him his second NFC Offensive Player of the Week award in 2007. Overall, the Brees passed for 4,423 yards, tied his own record and tied for the first time in franchise history with 28 touchdowns. With 440, Rich Gannon set the NFL record for pass completions in a single season. However, the Saints lost the playoffs with a 7-9 record.

In 2008, the Saints returned to the playoffs, but the Brees had a good year, finishing 15 yards shy of the NFL record for passing yards in a single season set by Dan Marino in 1984. In three of the four games, the Brees received NFC Offensive Player of the Month for September, going over 300 passing yards and having a passer rating over 110. He was 26 of 30 for 320 yards and three touchdowns over the Oakland Raiders in Week 6, defeating the Oakland Browns 34-3. In Week 8, a 37–32 victory over the San Diego Chargers, he had 339 passing yards and three touchdowns to win another NFC Offensive Player of the Week Nod. He had 323 passing yards and four touchdowns in Week 12, his third NFC Offensive Player of the Week award since 2008. With 5,069 yards on the season, he became the second quarterback in NFL history to throw for over 5,000 yards in a season.

During the 2008 season, he passed for 300 yards ten times, tying Rich Gannon's 2002 record. He was named FedEx Air Player of the Week for his work during Weeks 8-12 and 12 and was named AP 2008 Offensive Player of the Year. For his third season in Pro Bowl, he was named to his third career Pro Bowl appearance.

This season, Brees began serving on the executive committee of the National Football League Players Association. He stayed on the committee until the 2014 season.

Brees recorded a career-high and franchise-tying record with six touchdown passes against the Detroit Lions in their first game of the 2009 season, going 26 out of 34 for 358 yards. For his play against the Lions, he was named NFC Offensive Player of the Week. Brees led the Saints to a 48-22 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles next week, throwing for 311 yards and three touchdown passes. With nine touchdowns, the Brees tied for most touchdown passes by the end of Week 2 by the end of Week 2. Brees was named NFC Offensive Player of the Month for September after Week 3. In a dominating 48–27 victory over the second NFC Offensive Player of the Week no. 2nd of the season, Brees completed 23 of 30 passes for 369 yards, four touchdown passes, and a passer rating of 156.8 on Week 6, defeating the 5–0 New York Giants.

Brees won by a huge margin against the Miami Dolphins on the road in Week 7, 41–34. The Saints sank rapidly in the second quarter, trailing for the first time all season and failing to score in their first appearance as they had in all of their previous contests. Brees had a bad outing, but they did have two rushing touchdowns, one right before halftime to narrow the gap to 24-10, and another in the third quarter to give the Saints their first lead of the season, 37–34.

In the ensuing victory over the Atlanta Falcons, Brees threw for 308 yards on 25 of 33 passing along with two touchdowns and one interception. Brees was a key player in the team's 30–20 win over the Carolina Panthers in Week 9. This was Brees' first victory over the Carolina Panthers in the Superdome, and the Saints' best-ever start in franchise history at 8–0. Brees led the Saints to an 11-0 record in Week 12, defeating the New England Patriots 38–17 on Monday Night Football. With a perfect passer rating of 158.3, the Brees became the first player to throw for five touchdowns against a team coached by Bill Belichick. He earned his third NFC Offensive Player of the Week honor for the 2009 season. Brees and the Saints lost for the first time this season to the Dallas Cowboys, 20-17, after close victories over the Washington Redskins and Falcons in consecutive weeks to start 13–0. The Saints lost their last two games, with Brees losing the Week 17 finale against the Carolina Panthers. Their 13–3 record has earned them the top seed in the NFC.

Brees' individual performance led to numerous awards, including a Pro Bowl selection, the Maxwell Football Club's Bert Bell Award, and runner-up in voting for the AP MVP, Offensive Player of the Year, and First-Team All-Pro awards. He finished the season with a 70.62 completion percentage, establishing a new NFL record.

Brees had 247 passing yards and three touchdowns in the Divisional Round as the Saints defeated the Arizona Cardinals 45-14. In overtime, the Saints defeated the Minnesota Vikings 31–28. Brees completed 17 of 31 passes for 197 yards and three touchdowns. In Super Bowl XLIV on February 7, 2010, the Saints defeated the Indianapolis Colts 31–17. With 32 pass completions and the Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Award, the Brees tied a Super Bowl record. He threw for 288 yards and two touchdowns. It was the first time the Saints franchise had a championship. Brees was named Best Sportsman of the Year in 2010 for his victory in the Super Bowl and his charitable contributions to New Orleans' reconstruction. On December 17, 2010, he was named AP Male Athlete of the Year. Brees was more accurate in his throws than any of the Saints' previous quarterbacks within four short years. Brees and his mates were welcomed back to New Orleans with a blues band and thousands of enthusiastic fans.

Brees passed for more than 300 yards seven times in the 2010 regular season and helped lead the Saints to a six-game winning streak late in the season. The Saints qualified for the playoffs with an 11-5 record, but the Seattle Seahawks were disqualified in the Wild Card Round by a score of 41–36, a tie. In the loss, the Brees had 404 passing yards and two passing touchdowns. Brees was selected to his fifth Pro Bowl-fourth with the Saints. The Brees had a less fruitful season overall, with a career-high 22 interceptions tying the franchise record held by Aaron Brooks, although he did throw for 4,620 yards and 33 touchdowns. On the NFL Top 100 Players of 2011 players' list, he ranked ninth.

Brees' 2011 season was his best on record, passing yards, and passing touchdowns, also known as the "Triple Crown." In the 15th game of the season (week 164) against the Atlanta Falcons, Darren Sproles scored a touchdown pass to him, beating Dan Marino's 27-year-old record for most passing yards in one season (5,084) at home in New Orleans. With 46 touchdowns, the Brees also set a new Saints franchise record for passing touchdowns in a season.

Brees beat the Chicago Bears for the first time in his career as a starting quarterback in Week 2, leaving the Baltimore Ravens as the only remaining NFL team in which the Brees had never defeated to that point. He was 31 of 35 for 325 passing yards and five touchdowns on October 23, defeating the Indianapolis Colts 62–7. For his appearance against the Colts, he was named NFC Offensive Player of the Week. On November 28, he was the NFC Offensive Player of the Week after a Week 1249–24 victory over the New York Giants. Brees passed for 342 yards in a home game against the Detroit Lions on December 4, a home game against the Detroit Lions. The Brees' season saw him pass for 4,031 yards on the season, making him the first quarterback in NFL history to smash the 4,000-yard record in the first 12 games of a season, as the first quarterback to reach four seasons with 4,000+ touchdown passes. Brees threw for 412 yards against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 15. Brees became the first quarterback in NFL history to throw for five touchdowns, 400+ yards in a game, while also maintaining a 80% completion rate.

Brees broke Dan Marino's long-running record of passing yards in a single season of 5,084 against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 16, with a nine-yard touchdown pass to Darren Sproles in the fourth quarter of the game. He needed 305 yards to break the record set up the game and beat it by 307. With just one game remaining, he came to a conclusion after throwing for 5,087 total passing yards for the regular season. Brees' streak of consecutive games with a touchdown pass to Marques Colston has extended to 42 games with a touchdown pass. After the game, Marino congratulated Brees on Twitter, saying, "Congrats to @drewbrees." Such a unique player does a good job." "Thanks to @DanMarino for his class and help during this run," Brees posted on Twitter. It's an honor to follow his example. With his appearance against the Falcons, he earned his third and final NFC Offensive Player of the Week accolade for the 2011 season.

In Week 17, the Brees closed out the season by setting six NFL records, beating Tom Brady of the New England Patriots, who also tied Marino's record of 5,235 yards. From December to end the season, he was named NFC Offensive Player of the Month. In a strike-shortened 1982 season, the Brees averaged 342.25 yards per game, beating Dan Fouts' record of 320.3. Peyton Manning beat Brees by one passing yard in 2013 and finished the season with an NFL-record 5,477 passing yards, averaging 342.31 yards per game. Brees led the Saints to victory over the Detroit Lions by a score of 45–28 in the NFC Wild Card Round. However, Brees and the Saints lost in the Divisional Round to the San Francisco 49ers by a score of 36–32 in a back-and-forth match. Brees passed for 462 passing yards, four passing touchdowns, and two interceptions in the loss. He was selected to his sixth Pro Bowl appearance. On the NFL Top 100 Players of 2012, he was ranked second-best player in the league by his peers.

The Saints and Brees have agreed to a five-year, $100 million contract on July 13. At $60 million, the deal contained the most significant amount of guaranteed money in NFL history. The first year, the employee was paid $40 million.

With a 0–4 record, the Brees and the Saints started the season. In Week 4, when he passed for 446 yards and three touchdowns in a 28-27 loss to the Green Bay Packers, he was one of his losing streak. Brees threw a 40-yard touchdown pass to Devery Henderson against his former team, the San Diego Chargers, in Week 5. This was his 48th game with a touchdown pass. Brees snapped Johnny Unitas' streak with at least one touchdown pass, and Unitas' Joe Joe was on hand at the Superdome to see his father's 52-year-old record be broken. Due to Brees' potential breaking Unitas' records, Sean Payton, Joe Vitt, and Mickey Loomis, all serving suspensions as a result of the "Bountygate" scandal, were allowed to watch the Week 5 game against the San Diego Chargers. For his 370-yard, four-touchdown, and one-interception effort against the Chargers, Brees earned NFC Offensive Player of the Week. The Saints had lost their first four games without their head coach, but they snapped them off with a 31–24 victory over the Chargers, snapping the losing streak.

Brees had no touchdowns and a career-high five interceptions in their Week 13 match against the Atlanta Falcons, snaping a game with at least one touchdown pass at 54. Brees threw for 354 yards against the New York Giants in Week 14, his seventh straight 4,000-yard passing season, surpassing Peyton Manning's record of sixth consecutive seasons. It was also his fifth straight season with at least 30 touchdown passes and 4,000 yards passing, which was also a NFL record. Despite having the worst defensive back-up in the NFL, whose 7,042 yards lost was an all-time NFL record, the Brees managed to finish the 2012 season with 5,177 passing yards and 43 touchdowns, a new franchise record, and the team finished the season with a 7–9 record and missed the playoffs.

Brees was selected to the 2013 Pro Bowl for the seventh time, this time as an injury substitute for Robert Griffin III. He was ranked 11th by his peers on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2013.

The 2013 Brees and the Saints opened with a 5–0 record. Week 438-17 home victory over the Miami Dolphins, where he had 413 passing yards and four touchdowns to earn NFC Offensive Player of the Week. He had 392 passing yards and four touchdowns against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 10, giving him his second NFC Offensive Player of the Week award. Brees defeated Warren Moon for fifth on the career passing yards list in Week 12. Brees became the first player to join the 50,000-yard club during Week 14 and was only the fifth player to do so. In the fourth quarter of a 31-13 Saints victory over the Carolina Panthers, he did it in 183 games, passing the 50,000 milestone on a pass to Jimmy Graham. He had 381 passing yards and four touchdowns in Week 17, his third NFC Offensive Player of the Week nod for the 2013 season. With 4,000 passing yards, the Brees' sixth straight season of at least 30 touchdown passes in a row, his third straight 5,000-yard season and his eighth straight 4,000-yard season. He was named to his eighth Pro Bowl appearance for his good showing in 2013. In the Wild Card Round, the Saints finished with an 11-five record and barely beat the Philadelphia Eagles, but in the Divisional Round, they lost to the Seattle Seahawks, who went on to win Super Bowl XLVIII. He ranked sixth among his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2014.

Brees admits that the 2014 season was his "most frustrating." The Saints had a 7-9 record and missed the playoffs. The Brees started off with two games missing on game-ending field goals from the other team's; in Week 1, the Saints lost 37–34 to the Cleveland Browns in overtime and fell to fourth place on the career passing yardage chart, ahead of John Elway. Brees made the NFL's all-time champion in completion percentage at 66.2 percent on October 19, defeating Chad Pennington in a road game against the Detroit Lions. In a Week 33-32 road victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers, he had 257 passing yards and five touchdowns, earning the NFC Offensive Player of the Week for the 20th time in his career, as well as the NFC with the Saints. He extended his streak to an NFL-record seventh straight season with at least 30 touchdown passes and nine seasons of 4,000 passing yards in a Week 15 road game against the Chicago Bears. However, his streak of 5,000 passing yards came to an end, with him passing for 4,952 yards, good enough to tie him with Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger for the most passing yards in the league this season. For the first time in NFL history, two players tied for the passing yards lead. He was named to his seventh straight and ninth Pro Bowl appearance. He was ranked 30th by his peers on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2015.

With two of the losses being by one possession, the Brees and the Saints started the 2015 season off to a 0-3 record. The Saints beat the Dallas Cowboys 26-20 on Sunday, the team's first victory of the season, while on the 80-yard touchdown pass to C. J. Spiller on the second play of overtime. For his play against the Cowboys, he was named NFC Offensive Player of the Week. Brees was the fifth player in NFL history to reach the 400 touchdown milestone. In addition, he was the fastest player to reach 400 touchdowns in 205 games. Brees made his 5,000th pass on a touchdown to tight end Josh Hill, marking his 5,000th appearance on the field. At 13 seconds, it was the fastest regular season overtime victory in the NFL's history.

During a 52-49 victory over the New York Giants on November 1, 2015, Brees tied a game with seven touchdown passes in a game with seven. He made 39-of-50 passes for 505 yards in his second game with at least 500 passing yards in his career. He became the second player in NFL history to play multiple 500-yard passing games. For his heroic play against the New York Giants, he was named NFC Offensive Player of the Week.

Houston lost by 24–6 in Week 12, breaking his streak of 45 games without a touchdown pass. The Saints defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers by a score of 24-20, two weeks later, he tied for fourth in career touchdown passes. In Week 15, he became the fourth quarterback to reach the 60,000-yard mark—in 215 games, the fastest ever—and was his 10th straight 4,000-yard game in his career, as well as his 94th 300-yard victory. As Brees and Manning had been tied at 93 games prior to the game, his ranking ranked him first in most 300-yard games. His streak against the Jacksonville Jaguars extended to his eighth straight season with at least 30 touchdown passes, as well as his 95th 300-yarder, all NFL records. With a victory over the Atlanta Falcons on Week 17, the Brees finished the season with four straight 300-yard games for a career high of 96 and a season-high total of 4,870 yards passing, leading the league in passing yards for the sixth time. Despite the Saints' on-field success, the Saints still have a 7-9 record and missed the playoffs. He was ranked 30th by his peers on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2016.

In a narrow 35-34 home loss to the Oakland Raiders, Brees threw a career-high 98-yard touchdown pass to Brandin Cooks in the Saints' 2016 season opener. He played 28-of-42 for 423 yards and four touchdown passes. His 400-yard game tied him with Peyton Manning for the most 400-yard passing games in NFL history. In a loss to the New York Giants last week, he defeated Dan Marino for third place in career passing yards.

In a 41–38 home victory over the Carolina Panthers on October 16, Brees threw for 465 yards and four touchdown passes with just one interception. Brees set a new NFL record with his 15th 400-yard passing appearance in his career with this appearance. Brees also reached another milestone in the game by becoming the sixth player to reach 50,000 passing yards with just one team. Peyton Manning (Indianapolis Colts), Brett Favre (Green Bay Packers), Dan Marino (Miami Dolphins), Tom Brady (New England Patriots), and John Elway (Denver Broncos).

In a loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on October 23, Brees became the first NFL player to reach 100 percent in 300+ passing yards in Week 7.

Brees and Aaron Rodgers tied for most touchdown passes in four seasons with four, a record shared by Peyton Manning and Tom Brady.

Brees finished the 2016 season as the second most prolific season of his career and the fifth 5,000-yard season in his career, more than any other 5,000-yard seasons combined (4). He threw for 471 completions, breaking his NFL record of 468 set in 2011, as well as a career-best 673 attempts. With 37 points, Brees finished third in touchdown passes, his fourth highest finish in his career. He came in second in completion percentage (70.0%), marking the third time he has completed at least 70% of his passes in a season. Despite his appearances for the third straight season, the Saints finished 7-9. And no one made the playoffs. For his tenth Pro Bowl appearance, he was named to his tenth Pro Bowl appearance. He was ranked 16th in the NFL Top 100 Players of 2017.

The Brees and the Saints started the 2017 season with a 0–2 record before reeling off eight consecutive victories. In a 31–21 victory over the Carolina Panthers, he tied for second place in career completions. Brees was named to his 11th Pro Bowl appearance on December 19, 2017. Brees was the third player to pass over 70,000 yards in a career during Week 16, defeating the Atlanta Falcons in a football record-breaking 248 games. In that game, the Saints defeated the Saints for the 12th straight season, he had 239 passing yards, a touchdown, and an intercept. The Brees closed the 2017 season with a 72.0 percent, which was then a record in the NFL. He also led the league in number of completions (386) and yards per pass attempt (8.1), and came in second in passer rating (103.9).

The Saints posted an 11-5 record, gained the NFC South, and returned to the playoffs for the first time since the 2013 season. In the 31–26 victory over the Carolina Panthers, he had 376 passing yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. In the 29–24 loss, he had 294 passing yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions. He was ranked eighth by his peers on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2018.

Brees signed a two-year, $50 million contract extension with the Saints on March 13, 2018, with $27 million guaranteed.

Brees threw for more than 400 yards in Week 1 for the 16th time in his career, but the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated 48-40. Brees broke Brett Favre's record for career pass completions in the second quarter, defeating the Atlanta Falcons in Week 3. Brees threw for 396 yards and three touchdowns in the game, which earned him NFC Offensive Player of the Week. With a 62-yard touchdown pass to Tre'Quan Smith late in Week 5, Brees surpassed Peyton Manning for the NFL's all-time passing yardage record. In the 43–19 victory, he earned him NFC Offensive Player of the Week for the second time in three weeks as he went on to finish 26 of 29 passes, setting a new high 89.66 single-game completion percentage for 363 yards and three touchdowns, his second highest single-game completion percentage in his career. Brees claimed his first career victory over the Baltimore Ravens on 24-21, making him the third quarterback in NFL history to defeat all 32 teams, joining Peyton Manning and Brett Favre. When Brees threw a 1-yard touchdown to Benjamin Watson during this game, he became the fourth quarterback in NFL history, alongside Manning, Favre, and Tom Brady. In a victory over the Minnesota Vikings that was his first interception of the season, the Rams lost their first loss of the season in Week 9. Brees defeated Brett Favre for second in career passing touchdowns in a 51–14 victory over Michael Thomas. In November, Brees was named the NFC Offensive Player of the Month for the first time, winning 16 touchdowns to two interceptions in that stretch.

Over 15 games, the Brees finished with 364 completions, 489 attempts, 3,992 passing yards, 32 interceptions, and five interceptions. After the Saints had clinched the NFC's top seed the week before, he sat out the season finale. He set a new NFL record (74.4%) in 2017, beating his previous record (72.0%) set in 2017, and led the league in passer ratings (a career high of 115.7). However, with his 3,992 yards, his NFL record of 12 seasons with at least 4,000 passing yards came to an end. With six fourth quarter comebacks and seven game-winning drives, he led the league.

The Saints started badly, falling to a 14-0 hole in the Divisional Round against the Philadelphia Eagles, but the Saints recovered and won their first NFC Championship Game since their 2009 Super Bowl Championship season. The Brees won with 28 of 38 passes for 301 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. Brees passed for 249 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception as the Saints lost 26–23 to the Los Angeles Rams in overtime following a controversial missed pass interference call on a play that began at the Rams' 13-yard line with 1:49 remaining in regulation. The penalty may have caused the Saints to run out most of the clock due to the Rams' lack of a timeout, and they may have attempted a go-ahead field goal that would have certainly won the game for New Orleans if called. In a single season, the Brees became the first and only player in NFL history to give touchdown passes to 15 different players (of which nine were undrafted) — as well as the playoffs. Patrick Mahomes came in second place in the MVP competition. He was voted the second best player in the NFL by his peers on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2019.

The Saints defeated the Houston Texans in their first game of the season, throwing for 370 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. Brees sustained an injury to his right hand during a game against the Los Angeles Rams, which forced him to leave the game. Brees' right thumb ligament had been torn, requiring surgery and likely leaving him without service for six to eight weeks, according to an MRI. As the Saints defeated 31–9, Brees returned to action against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 8, finishing with 373 passing yards, three touchdowns, and an interception. Brees completed 29 of 40 passes for 349 yards, five touchdowns, and no interceptions, with one touchdown, and no interceptions, as the Saints barely lost 48–46. Brees won the Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning's record for most career touchdowns, defeating Josh Hill on his career-best 20th straight completion in the third quarter during Week 15. Brees' third touchdown pass of the night was his third touchdown pass on the night. The Saints defeated the Colts by a 34–7 margin as he finished the game with four touchdowns and 304 yards. In addition, Brees completed 29 of his 30 passes for a career high and NFL single game record of 96 percent, beating the previous record (28 out of 29 passes for a 96 percent completion rate) set the previous year by his former Chargers teammate Philip Rivers. During the 38–28 victory, Brees threw for 279 yards and three touchdowns in the following week's game against the Tennessee Titans. Michael Thomas was assisting with the game helping wide receiver Michael Thomas break the single season receptions record held by Marvin Harrison with his 144th catch of the season. For December, Brees were named NFC Offensive Player of the Month. The Brees played in 11 games and finished with 2,979 passing yards, 27 touchdowns, and four interceptions in the 2019 season. He finished second in NFL history with a completion percentage of 74.3 percent, the second in second in the league's history to his record from the previous season.

Brees threw for 208 yards, one touchdown, and one interceptor during their 26-20 overtime loss to the Minnesota Vikings. Brees led the Saints on a late drive to set up a game-tying field goal on a seven-play drive to prompt the overtime period. Russell Wilson resigned from his position as the Pro Bowl's 13th in his career. He was ranked 12th by his fellow members on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2020.

Brees' two-year, $50 million contract extension was signed with the Saints on March 17, 2020.

Brees completed 18 of 30 passes for 160 passing yards and two touchdowns in the Saints' regular-season opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and their new quarterback Tom Brady, smashing Brett Favre's record for most career pass attempts in the process, as the Saints defeated the Buccaneers by a score of 34–23. Brees helped lead the Saints to a 5–2 stretch, kicking off Week 1's second match against Brady in Week 9. In the 38–3 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he passed for 222 yards and four touchdowns. Brees defeated Brady for the second time in the match over the Buccaneers.

Following the first half with a rib injury suffered during a sack attempt from Kentavius Street, the Brees left the Saints' Week ten game against the San Francisco 49ers on November 15, 2020. Before leaving the game, the Brees completed 8 of 13 passes for 76 yards and a touchdown. Brees had multiple fractured ribs and a collapsed lung from the hits he had taken during the game the next day. Brees was on injured reserve on November 20, 2020, effectively keeping him out for at least three games. Brees was activated on December 19, 2020, for the Saints' Week 15 game against the Kansas City Chiefs, where he passed for 234 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception; during the Saints' 32–29 loss, Brees defeated former Canadian Football League (CFL) quarterback Anthony Calvillo for first place in any professional outdoor gridiron football league. Brees became the first quarterback in history to pass 80,000 yards in his first game against the Minnesota Vikings on Christmas Day as New Orleans defeated 53–33 to win their fourth straight NFC South title. He played in 12,942 passing yards, 24 touchdowns, and six interceptions in twelve games for the Saints, who ended with a 12–4 record.

During the 21–9 victory over the Chicago Bears, Brees threw for 265 yards and two touchdowns. Brees threw for 134 yards and a touchdown in the Divisional Round against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but also dropped three interceptions in a 30-20 loss.

The Saints renegotiated Brees' deal, which dropped his salary down to $1.075 million for the upcoming season in order to save salary cap space. Brees resigned after 2021, just 15 years since he first signed his first deal with the New Orleans Saints. On June 11, 2021, the Saints placed him on their reserve/retired list.

Career awards and records

Brees has received numerous accolades both in college and NFL, including: Best of the best in football and NFL.

Brees has a string of passing records for the Saints franchise:

Broadcasting career

Brees was hired by NBC Sports to work as the color analyst for Notre Dame games and in America's Football Night, as the team's official, with play-by-play announcer Mike Tirico. On May 15, 2022, he left after the season.

Source

Career awards and records

Brees has earned several awards in both college and the NFL, including:

Brees holds numerous passing records for the Saints franchise: