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Drew Brees

January 25, 2024

"Brees" redirects here. For the surname, including a list people with the name, see Brees (surname).

Drew Christopher Brees (/briːz/;[1] born January 15, 1979) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 20 seasons.[2] A member of the New Orleans Saints for most of his career, Brees is second in career passing yards, career touchdown passes, career pass completions, and career completion percentage.[3] Brees also holds the record of consecutive games with a touchdown pass, breaking the record held by Johnny Unitas for 52 years. He is regarded as one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time.[4][5][6]

Drew Brees
Brees in 2020
No. 9
Position:Quarterback
Personal information
Born: (1979-01-15) January 15, 1979 (age 45)
Dallas, Texas, U.S.
Height:6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Weight:209 lb (95 kg)
Career information
High school:Westlake
(Austin, Texas)
College:Purdue (1997–2000)
NFL Draft:2001 / Round: 2 / Pick: 32
Career history
As a player:
As a coach:
  • Purdue (2022)
    Interim assistant coach
Career highlights and awards
NFL records
Career NFL statistics
Passing attempts:10,551
Passing completions:7,142
Completion percentage:67.7%
TD–INT:571–243
Passing yards:80,358
Passer rating:98.7
Rushing yards:752
Rushing touchdowns:25
Player stats at NFL.com · PFR

Brees played college football for the Purdue Boilermakers, where he set the Big Ten Conference records for completions, attempts, and yards. Due to questions over his height and arm strength, however, he was not selected until the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft by the San Diego Chargers. Brees initially struggled before having a breakout season in 2004, earning him Pro Bowl and Comeback Player of the Year honors. Re-signed to a one-year contract, Brees suffered a potentially career-ending injury the following season, which resulted in the Chargers allowing him to leave in free agency. Joining the Saints, he brought new success to a franchise that had only seven winning seasons, five playoff appearances, and one postseason win during the 39 years prior to his arrival. From 2006 to 2020, Brees led the Saints to nine playoff appearances, seven division titles (including four consecutive from 2017 to 2020), three NFC Championship Game appearances, and the franchise's first Super Bowl title in Super Bowl XLIV, earning him the game's MVP award.[7]

At the conclusion of his 15 seasons in New Orleans, Brees extended his total Pro Bowl selections to 13 and was twice named Offensive Player of the Year. He also led the NFL in passing yards a record seven times. Brees retired after the 2020 season and spent the following year as an analyst on NBC Sunday Night Football.[8][9] He returned to Purdue as an interim assistant football coach in 2022.[10]

Early life and high school

Brees was born on January 15, 1979[11] in Dallas, Texas, to Eugene Wilson "Chip" Brees II, a prominent trial lawyer, and Mina Ruth (née Akins; died 2009), an attorney. His grandfather fought in the Battle of Okinawa.[12][13] A Sports Illustrated article stated he was named for Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Drew Pearson[14] but in a 2014 interview Brees said this story was "just legend".[15] He has a younger brother, Reid (born 1981). When Brees was seven, his parents divorced and shared custody of the boys, who split their time between both parents' homes. Today, he admits that it was a very tough and challenging life after the divorce; however, Brees and his younger brother, Reid, supported each other and became very close.[16] They have a younger half-sister, Audrey, from their father's remarriage to Amy Hightower, daughter of the late U.S. Representative (D-TX) Jack English Hightower.[17][18] Brees was raised Baptist.[19]

Both of Brees's parents had athletic backgrounds. His father played basketball at Texas A&M, and his mother was a former all-state athlete in three sports in high school.[20][21] His maternal uncle, Marty Akins, was an All-American starting quarterback for the Texas Longhorns college football team from 1972 to 1975,[18][22] and his maternal grandfather, Ray Akins, had the third-most victories as a Texas high school football coach, in his three decades at Gregory-Portland High School.[23][24][25] His younger brother, Reid, was an outfielder for the Baylor Bears baseball team, which made the 2005 College World Series; Reid now resides in Colorado, where he works in sales.[22][26]

After moving to the Austin area, Brees did not play tackle football until high school and was on the flag football team at St. Andrew's Episcopal School, where his teammates included actor Ben McKenzie, who was in the same year. In high school, he was a varsity letterman in baseball, basketball, and football,[27] and was considering playing college baseball rather than football.[28] College recruiters quickly ran after Brees blew out his knee in the 11th grade.[16] After overcoming the ACL tear, he was selected as Texas High School 5A Most Valuable Offensive Player in 1996 and led the Austin Westlake High School football team to a 16–0 record and a state championship.[18][29] As a high school football player, Brees completed 314 of 490 passes (64.1 percent) for 5,461 yards with 50 touchdowns, including in his senior season, 211 of 333 passes (63.4 percent) for 3,528 yards with 31 touchdowns.[30] When Brees started for two seasons, Westlake went 28–0–1 and beat a Dominic Rhodes-led Abilene Cooper 55–15 in the 1996 title game.[23][30][31] He was given honorable mention in the state high school all-star football team and the USA Today All-USA high school football team,[32] alongside former San Diego Chargers teammate and longtime friend LaDainian Tomlinson.[17][33] Brees had hoped to follow in his father's and uncle's footsteps and play for the Texas Longhorns or Texas A&M Aggies, but was not heavily recruited despite his stellar record.[18][34]

College career

Brees received offers from only two colleges, Purdue and Kentucky, choosing Purdue for its highly rated academics.[21] He graduated in 2001 with a degree in industrial management,[35] and is a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity.[36]

After a relatively uneventful freshman season, Brees was given his first start during his sophomore year by Boilermakers head coach Joe Tiller and became an integral part of Tiller and Jim Chaney's unorthodox "basketball on grass" spread offense, serving as offensive captain during his junior and senior years.[37][38] In the 1998 season, in a game against Wisconsin, Brees tied an NCAA single-game record with 55 completions and set the NCAA record for pass attempts in a single game with 83. He finished 31–24 loss with 494 yards, two touchdowns and four interceptions.[39] He had the option to make himself available for the 2000 NFL Draft but chose to return for his senior year to complete his studies.[40] In 2000, he led the Boilermakers to memorable last-minute upsets against top-ranked Ohio State[41] and Michigan en route to the Boilermakers' first Big Ten championship (shared with Michigan and Northwestern) since 1967.[42] The Ohio State game was replayed on ESPN Classic and is widely remembered for Brees's four interceptions and 64-yard touchdown pass to Seth Morales with 1:55 remaining to seal a vital 31–27 win, prompting commentator Brent Musburger to exclaim "Holy Toledo!" and a post-game field rush.[43][44][45] Brees helped lead Purdue to a #9 ranking in the AP Poll, the program's highest spot since the 1980 season, during the year.[46][47] Due to head-to-head victories over Michigan and Northwestern, Purdue won the invitation to the 2001 Rose Bowl, which was the school's first appearance there since 1967.[48]

Brees was a finalist for the Davey O'Brien Award as the nation's best quarterback in 1999.[49] He won the Maxwell Award as the nation's outstanding player of 2000[50] and the NCAA's Today's Top VIII Award as a member of the Class of 2001.[51] Brees was also fourth in Heisman Trophy voting in 1999 and third in 2000.[52] As a senior, Brees became the first Boilermaker since Bruce Brineman in 1989 to earn Academic All-America honors.[53][54][55][56] Additionally, he won Academic All-Big Ten honors a record three times,[57] was initiated into Mortar Board[54] and awarded the Big Ten Medal of Honor[58] and the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Award.[59][60] Brees also was awarded Purdue's Leonard Wilson Award for unselfishness and dedication.[61]

In his college career, Brees set two NCAA records, 13 Big Ten Conference records, and 19 Purdue University records.[62] He left Purdue with Big Ten Conference records in passing yards (11,792),[27] touchdown passes (90), total offensive yards (12,693), completions (1,026), and attempts (1,678).[37] He tied an NCAA record with the 99-yard pass to receiver Vinny Sutherland against Northwestern on September 25, 1999, and held the NCAA record for pass attempts in a game (83) for 15 years, until Washington State quarterback Connor Halliday broke it in October 2013.[63][64]

In 2009, Brees was inducted into Purdue's Intercollegiate Athletics Hall of Fame.[65] The Big Ten Conference's Griese–Brees Quarterback of the Year award initiated in 2011 was named in his and Bob Griese's honor.[66] He was named the Big Ten's best quarterback of the 1990s[67] and ranked number 48 on the 2010 documentary Big Ten Icons, featuring the conference's top fifty student-athletes.[68][69][70]

College statistics

Season Team GP Passing
Cmp Att Pct Yds TD Int
1997 Purdue 8 19 43 44.2 232 0 1
1998 Purdue 13 361 569 63.4 3,983 39 20
1999 Purdue 12 337 554 60.8 3,909 25 12
2000 Purdue 12 309 512 60.4 3,668 26 12
Total 45 1,026 1,678 61.1 11,792 90 45

Professional career

Pre-draft measurables
Height Weight Arm length Hand span 40-yard dash 10-yard split 20-yard split 20-yard shuttle Three-cone drill Vertical jump Broad jump Wonderlic
6 ft 0+1⁄4 in
(1.84 m) 		213 lb
(97 kg) 		31 in
(0.79 m) 		10+1⁄4 in
(0.26 m)		 4.83 s 1.66 s 2.75 s 4.21 s 7.09 s 32 in
(0.81 m)		 8 ft 9 in
(2.67 m)		 28
All values from NFL Combine[71]

San Diego Chargers (2001–2005)

2001 NFL Draft

Brees's college success led to projections that he would be a mid–late first-round draft pick in the 2001 NFL Draft,[72] but he slipped due to concerns about his relatively short stature for a professional quarterback (6'0), a perceived lack of arm strength, and a sense that he had succeeded in college in a spread offense. Brees was the second quarterback selected in the 2001 NFL Draft behind Michael Vick of Virginia Tech.[73] He was chosen by the San Diego Chargers with the first pick of the second round with the 32nd overall pick.[74] San Diego originally had the first pick in that draft, but traded it to Atlanta (who drafted Vick) in return for the fifth pick of the first round with which San Diego drafted LaDainian Tomlinson.[74]

Early career

See also: 2001 San Diego Chargers season, 2002 San Diego Chargers season, and 2003 San Diego Chargers season

In his rookie season, Brees was the backup quarterback to Doug Flutie, who started all 16 games that season.[75] Brees played in his first professional game on November 4, 2001, against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 8. He came into the game to relieve Flutie, who had suffered a concussion.[76] He finished with 221 passing yards and his first career passing touchdown, a 20-yard pass to Freddie Jones.[77] The game against the Chiefs was Brees's lone appearance as a rookie.

On August 19, 2002, he was named the starter for the 2002 season over Doug Flutie.[78] Brees started all 16 games for the Chargers. The season started off well for the Chargers with a 6–1 start, but faded down the stretch with a 2–7 record over the last nine games to finish 8–8.[79] He finished the 2002 season with 3,284 passing yards, 17 touchdowns, and 16 interceptions.[80]

In Week 4 of the 2003 season, Brees recorded a 21-yard touchdown reception on a pass thrown by LaDainian Tomlinson in the 34–31 overtime loss to the Oakland Raiders.[81] After a disappointing 1–7 start to the 2003 season, Brees was replaced by Flutie, though he regained the job by Week 15.[82][83] In 11 games, he finished with 2,108 passing yards, 11 touchdowns, and 15 interceptions.[84]

2004 season

See also: 2004 San Diego Chargers season

Brees's career with the Chargers was in jeopardy after San Diego acquired NC State's Philip Rivers after the 2004 NFL Draft.[85] With a looming quarterback controversy, he performed well through training camp and the preseason, while Rivers held out during training camp, essentially guaranteeing Brees the job to begin the season with Rivers as his backup.[86][87]

Brees remained the starter throughout the 2004 season, where he started 15 games and led the team to a 12–4 regular season record.[88] In Week 8, against the Oakland Raiders, he was 22 of 25 for 281 yards and five touchdowns in the 42–14 victory to earn his first AFC Offensive Player of the Week honor.[89][90] Brees posted spectacular numbers, completing 65.5% of his passes for 3,159 yards, with 27 touchdowns to only seven interceptions, giving him a 104.8 passer rating.[91] The Chargers won the AFC West for the first time in 10 seasons and Brees was selected to the 2004 Pro Bowl.[92][93] He was named 2004 NFL Comeback Player of the Year.[94] In the Wild Card Round against the New York Jets, Brees had 319 passing yards, two passing touchdowns, and one interception in the 20–17 overtime loss.[95]

2005 season

See also: 2005 San Diego Chargers season

Brees became a free agent after the 2004 season and was not expected to return to San Diego, which had already committed a large sum of money to Rivers. The team eventually designated Brees a franchise player, giving him a one-year contract that quadrupled his pay to $8 million for 2005. Under the terms of the franchise player contract, Brees was eligible to be traded or to sign with another team, but the Chargers would receive two future first-round draft choices in return. He was not traded and continued as the starting quarterback for the remainder of the 2005 season.[96]

After a 1–2 start, Brees helped lead a 41–17 victory over the New England Patriots. He was 19 of 24 for 248 passing yards and two touchdowns and earned AFC Offensive Player of the Week for the effort.[97][98] He posted a career-high in passing yards with 3,576. Brees also posted an 89.2 rating, 10th best in the NFL.[99][100] However, in the last game of the 2005 season against the Denver Broncos, Brees tore his labrum while trying to pick up his own fumble after being hit by Broncos safety John Lynch.[101] Denver tackle Gerard Warren hit Brees while he was on the ground, causing the injury.[102] Brees underwent arthroscopic surgery, performed by Dr. James Andrews, to repair the torn labrum in his right (throwing) shoulder on January 5, 2006.[103] Subsequent reports mentioned additional rotator cuff damage and he also was treated by Dr. Saby Szajowitz to recover and regain muscle movement.[104]

After the season, the Chargers offered Brees a five-year, $50 million contract that paid $2 million in base salary the first year and the rest heavily based on performance incentives.[105]

New Orleans Saints (2006–2020)

After the Chargers refused to increase their offer, Brees met with other teams. The New Orleans Saints and the Miami Dolphins were interested in Brees.[106] New Orleans made an offer that included $10 million in guaranteed money the first year and a $12 million option the second year. Miami was unsure whether Brees' shoulder was completely healed and doctors suggested the team should not sign him because of the injury.[107][108] The Dolphins ended negotiations and traded for Minnesota Vikings quarterback Daunte Culpepper instead.[109] Brees signed a six-year, $60 million deal with the Saints on March 14, 2006.[110] The Dolphins' decision to not sign Brees was the reason why Nick Saban resigned and left for Alabama.[111]

2006 season

See also: 2006 New Orleans Saints season

Brees had a productive first year with the Saints. The team, under first-year head coach Sean Payton, rebounded from its disastrous 2005 season, when the team was unable to play in New Orleans due to the damage caused by Hurricane Katrina and struggled to a 3–13 record, to finish with a 10–6 regular season record and won the NFC South division title. The Saints also earned the NFC's second seed as well as a first-round bye.[112][113] On November 5, in the 31–14 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he had 314 passing yards and three touchdowns to earn his first NFC Offensive Player of the Week honor.[114][115] On November 19, in a 31–16 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals, he threw for a career-high 510 passing yards, two touchdowns, and three interceptions.[116] Brees's 510 passing yards marked a single-game franchise record and was the sixth most for a single game in NFL history at the time.[117] In Week 14, a 42–17 victory over the Dallas Cowboys, he had 384 passing yards and five touchdowns to earn his second NFC Offensive Player of the Week award in 2006.[118][119] Brees threw a league-leading and franchise record 4,418 passing yards, finished third in the league with 26 touchdown passes and 11 interceptions, and had a 96.2 passer rating.[120] Brees was named starting quarterback for the NFC in the 2007 Pro Bowl[121] and was named as a First-team All-Pro.[122] On January 5, 2007, Brees was named first runner-up behind former teammate Tomlinson for league MVP by the Associated Press.[123] Brees and Tomlinson were co-recipients of the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award.[124]

On January 13, 2007, in his first playoff game for New Orleans, Brees was 20–of–32 in passing attempts with one touchdown and no interceptions against the Philadelphia Eagles in the Divisional Round at the Louisiana Superdome.[125] The Saints held on to win 27–24, and advanced to the franchise's first NFC Championship Game against the Chicago Bears. Though he completed 27 of 49 passes for 354 yards and two touchdowns, Brees committed three costly turnovers, and was penalized for an intentional grounding in the endzone, resulting in a safety, as the Saints lost in the NFC Championship by a score of 39–14.[126] Brees dislocated his left elbow during the first quarter of the Pro Bowl.[127]

2007 season

See also: 2007 New Orleans Saints season

Brees's second season with the Saints started rough with a 0–4 start, with three losses by the Saints in that stretch by at least 17 points.[128][129][130] However, the Saints started a winning streak after Week 5. In Week 8, a 31–10 victory over the San Francisco 49ers, he had 336 passing yards and four touchdowns to earn NFC Offensive Player of the Week.[131][132] After the next game, a 41–24 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Saints were back at .500 with a 4–4 record.[133] In Week 15, a 31–24 victory over the Arizona Cardinals, he had 315 passing yards and two touchdowns to earn another NFC Offensive Player of the Week nod in 2007.[134][135] In Week 17, against the Chicago Bears, Brees tied Aaron Brooks's franchise record for pass attempts in a single game with 60 in the 33–25 loss.[136][137] Overall, in the 2007 season, Brees passed for 4,423 yards, topped his own record and tied a then franchise record with 28 touchdowns.[138] He also set the NFL record previously held by Rich Gannon for pass completions in a single season with 440.[139] However, the Saints missed the playoffs with a 7–9 record.[140]

2008 season

 
Brees in 2008 at Fedex Field
See also: 2008 New Orleans Saints season

In 2008, the Saints again missed the playoffs but Brees had a strong year statistically, finishing 15 yards short of the NFL record for passing yards thrown in a single season set by Dan Marino in 1984.[141] In Week 3, against the Denver Broncos, Brees set a single-game franchise record for pass completions with 39 in the 34–32 loss.[142] He passed for 421 yards and a passing touchdown in the loss.[143] Brees earned NFC Offensive Player of the Month for September, going over 300 passing yards and having a passer rating over 110 in three of the four games.[144] In Week 6, a 34–3 victory over the Oakland Raiders, he was 26 of 30 for 320 yards and three touchdowns to earn NFC Offensive Player of the Week.[145][146] In Week 8, a 37–32 victory over the San Diego Chargers, he had 339 passing yards and three touchdowns to earn another NFC Offensive Player of the Week nod.[147][148] In Week 12, a 51–29 win over the Green Bay Packers, he had 323 passing yards and four touchdowns to earn his third NFC Offensive Player of the Week honor in 2008.[149][150] He finished the season with 5,069 yards and became the second quarterback in NFL history to throw for over 5,000 yards in a season.[151][152][153]

He passed for 300 yards ten times during the 2008 season, tying Rich Gannon's 2002 record. He was named FedEx Air Player of the Week for his performances during Weeks 8 and 12 and was named the AP 2008 Offensive Player of the Year.[154] He was named to his third career Pro Bowl for his 2008 season.[155]

Brees started to serve on the executive committee of the National Football League Players Association this season.[156] He remained on the committee through the 2014 season.[157][158]

2009 season: Super Bowl XLIV

See also: 2009 New Orleans Saints season
 
Brees celebrating the Super Bowl win with his son Baylen

In the first game of the 2009 season against the Detroit Lions, Brees set a career-high and franchise-tying record with six touchdown passes, going 26 out of 34 for 358 yards. He earned NFC Offensive Player of the Week for his performance against the Lions.[159][160] The next week, Brees led the Saints to a 48–22 win over the Philadelphia Eagles, throwing for 311 yards and three touchdown passes.[161] Brees also tied the record for most touchdown passes by the end of Week 2 with nine touchdowns.[162] Following Week 3, Brees was named NFC Offensive Player of the Month for September.[163] In Week 6, against the 5–0 New York Giants, Brees completed 23 of 30 passes for 369 yards, four touchdown passes, and a passer rating of 156.8 in a dominant 48–27 victory to his second NFC Offensive Player of the Week nod of the season.[164][165]

In Week 7, Brees led a dramatic comeback victory on the road against the Miami Dolphins, 46–34. The Saints quickly faced a 24–3 deficit in the second quarter, trailing for the first time all season at that point, and failing to score on their first possession as they had in all of their previous contests. Brees had a poor outing, but provided two crucial rushing touchdowns, one just before halftime to narrow the deficit to 24–10, and one in the third quarter to give the Saints their first lead of the game, 37–34.[166]

The next week, Brees threw for 308 yards on 25 of 33 passing along with two touchdowns and one interception in leading the Saints to a 35–27 victory and franchise tying best start at 7–0 against the rival Atlanta Falcons.[167] In week 9, Brees helped guide the team to a 30–20 victory over the Carolina Panthers. This was Brees's first victory over the Carolina Panthers in the Superdome and gave the Saints their best ever start in franchise history at 8–0.[168] In Week 12, Brees led the Saints to an 11–0 record, defeating the New England Patriots 38–17 on Monday Night Football. Brees totaled 371 yards passing, posting a perfect passer rating of 158.3, and became the first player to throw for five touchdowns against a team coached by Bill Belichick.[169] He earned his third NFC Offensive Player of the Week nod for the 2009 season.[170][171] After close victories over the Washington Redskins and Falcons in successive weeks to start 13–0, Brees and the Saints lost for the first time that season to the Dallas Cowboys, 24–17, after DeMarcus Ware caused a Brees fumble in the final seconds, ending a fourth quarter rally.[172] The Saints lost their last two games, with Brees sitting out the Week 17 finale against the Carolina Panthers.[173] Their 13–3 record secured the #1 seed in the NFC.[174] The 13 regular season victories set a single-season franchise record for the Saints.[175]

Brees's individual statistics led to numerous accolades,[176] 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.[177][178] He finished the season with a completion percentage of 70.62, establishing a new NFL record.[179][180]

In the Divisional Round, Brees recorded 247 passing yards and three touchdowns as the Saints routed the Arizona Cardinals 45–14. In the NFC Championship, The Saints defeated the Minnesota Vikings 31–28 in overtime to help the Saints advance to their first Super Bowl appearance in franchise history.[181] Brees completed 17 of 31 passes for 197 yards and three touchdowns.[182] The Saints defeated the Indianapolis Colts 31–17 in Super Bowl XLIV on February 7, 2010. Brees tied a Super Bowl record with 32 pass completions and won the Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Award.[183] He threw for 288 yards and two touchdowns.[184] It was the first league championship in Saints franchise history.[185] Brees was named the 2010 Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year, both for his winning the Super Bowl and his charitable work towards the reconstruction of New Orleans.[186] On December 17, 2010, he was named AP Male Athlete of the Year. Within four short years after joining the Saints, Brees was more accurate in his throws than any of the Saints' past quarterbacks.[182] Brees and his teammates were welcomed back to New Orleans with a blues band along with thousands of celebrating fans.[182]

2010 season

See also: 2010 New Orleans Saints season

In the 2010 regular season, Brees passed for over 300 yards seven times and helped lead the Saints to a six-game winning streak late in the season.[187] The Saints qualified for the playoffs with a 11–5 record, but were eliminated in the Wild Card Round by the Seattle Seahawks by a score of 41–36 in the Beast Quake game.[188] Brees finished with 404 passing yards and two passing touchdowns in the loss.[189] Brees was selected to his fifth Pro Bowl-fourth with the Saints.[190] Brees had a less successful season statistically, throwing a career-high 22 interceptions, tying the franchise record held by Aaron Brooks, although he managed to throw for 4,620 yards and 33 touchdowns.[191] He was ranked ninth on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2011 players' list.[192]

2011 season

See also: 2011 New Orleans Saints season § Individual Records Set or Tied

The 2011 season was a record-breaking season for Brees as he led the NFL in completion percentage, passing yards and passing touchdowns, which is known as the "Triple Crown".[193] He broke Dan Marino's 27-year-old record for most passing yards in one season (5,084) in the 15th game of the season (week 16) against the Atlanta Falcons at home in New Orleans at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome with a touchdown pass to Darren Sproles. Brees also set a new Saints franchise record for passing touchdowns in a season with 46.[194]

In Week 2, during the Saints' home-opener, Brees defeated the Chicago Bears for the first time in his career as a starting quarterback, leaving the Baltimore Ravens as the only remaining NFL team which Brees had never beaten to that point.[195] On October 23, in a 62–7 victory over the Indianapolis Colts, he was 31 of 35 for 325 passing yards and five touchdowns.[196] He earned NFC Offensive Player of the Week for his performance against the Colts.[197] On November 28, a Week 12 49–24 victory over the New York Giants, he had 363 passing yards and four touchdowns to earn NFC Offensive Player of the Week.[198][199] In a home game on December 4 against the Detroit Lions, Brees passed for 342 yards.[200] Brees's performance gave him 4,031 yards on the season, making him the first quarterback in NFL history to eclipse the 4,000-yard mark in the first 12 games of a season, and the first quarterback to reach four consecutive seasons with 4,000+ yards and 30+ touchdown passes. In Week 15, against the Minnesota Vikings, Brees threw for 412 yards with five passing touchdowns. With that game, Brees became the first quarterback in NFL history to throw for five touchdowns, 400+ yards, while also maintaining a completion percentage of 80%, in a game.[201][202]

In Week 16, against the Atlanta Falcons at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, Brees broke Dan Marino's longstanding record of passing yards in a single season of 5,084 with a nine-yard touchdown pass to Darren Sproles with just under three minutes left in the fourth quarter of the game. He needed 305 yards to break the record entering the game and exceeded that mark with 307. He ended the game having thrown for 5,087 total passing yards for the regular season with one game remaining. With his second-quarter, eight-yard touchdown pass to Marques Colston, Brees extended his streak of consecutive games with a touchdown pass to 42 games. Marino congratulated Brees via Twitter after the game, saying "Congrats to @drewbrees. Great job by such a special player." Brees responded by tweeting, "Thanks to @DanMarino for his class and support during this run. It is an honor to attempt to follow the example he set for us all."[203][204] He earned his third and final NFC Offensive Player of the Week honor for the 2011 season with his performance against the Falcons.[205]

In Week 17, against the Carolina Panthers, Brees closed out the season by setting six NFL records, finishing the year with 468 completions for 5,476 yards, edging out Tom Brady of the New England Patriots, who also surpassed Marino's record with 5,235 yards.[206] He earned NFC Offensive Player of the Month for December to close out the season.[207] Brees averaged 342.25 yards passing per game, which broke Dan Fouts's record of 320.3 in a strike-shortened 1982 season.[208][209] In 2013, Peyton Manning bested Brees's record by one passing yard, and finished the season with an NFL-record 5,477 passing yards, averaging 342.31 yards per game.[210] In the NFC Wild Card Round, Brees passed for 466 yards and three passing touchdowns as the Saints defeated the Detroit Lions by a score of 45–28.[211] At the time, Brees's 466 passing yards marked the second-most in a playoff game in NFL history. He did set the NFL record for passing yards in a regulation playoff game.[212] 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 contest.[213] In the loss, Brees passed for 462 passing yards, four passing touchdowns, and two interceptions.[214] He was named to his sixth career Pro Bowl.[215] He was ranked as the second-best player in the league by his peers on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2012.[216]

2012 season

 
Brees at the 2013 Pro Bowl
See also: 2012 New Orleans Saints season

On July 13, the Saints and Brees agreed to a five-year, $100 million contract. The contract included the largest amount of guaranteed money in NFL history, at $60 million. $40 million of the contract was paid the first year.[217]

Due to the year-long suspension of head coach Sean Payton as a result of Bountygate, Brees entered the season with a temporary head coach in the form of offensive line coach Aaron Kromer, who was the Saints' coach for the first six games of the season while planned interim coach Joe Vitt was serving a suspension of his own. After Week 8, Vitt took over head coaching responsibilities for the rest of the 2012 season.

Brees and the Saints started the season with a 0–4 record.[218] One highlight in that losing streak was in Week 4, when he passed for 446 yards and three touchdowns in a 28–27 loss to the Green Bay Packers.[219] In Week 5, Brees threw a 40-yard touchdown pass to Devery Henderson against his former team, the San Diego Chargers. This was his 48th consecutive game with a touchdown pass. With that touchdown pass, Brees broke Johnny Unitas's consecutive game streak with at least one touchdown pass, and Unitas' son Joe was present at the Superdome to witness his father's 52-year-old record being broken.[220] Sean Payton, Joe Vitt and Mickey Loomis, who were all serving suspensions due to the "Bountygate" scandal, were granted permission to watch the Week 5 game against the San Diego Chargers due to Brees potentially breaking Unitas' record.[221] Brees earned NFC Offensive Player of the Week for his 370-yard, four-touchdown, and one-interception effort against the Chargers.[222][223] Without their head coach, the Saints had lost their first four games but ended the losing streak with a 31–24 win over the Chargers.[224]

In the Week 13 game against the Atlanta Falcons, Brees threw no touchdowns and a career-high five interceptions, ending his consecutive game streak with at least one touchdown pass at 54.[225] In Week 14, against the New York Giants, Brees threw for 354 yards, giving him his seventh straight 4,000-yard passing season, surpassing Peyton Manning's record of sixth straight seasons.[226] It was also his fifth straight season with at least 30 touchdown passes and 4,000 yards passing, also an NFL record. Brees managed to finish the 2012 season with 5,177 passing yards and 43 touchdowns despite having the worst defensive support in the NFL, whose 7,042 yards conceded was an all-time NFL record, and the team finished the season with a 7–9 record and missed the playoffs.[227][228]

For the seventh time, Brees was selected to the 2013 Pro Bowl, this time as an injury replacement for Robert Griffin III.[229][230] He was ranked 11th by his peers on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2013.[231]

 
Brees in 2013.

2013 season

See also: 2013 New Orleans Saints season

Brees and the Saints started the 2013 season with a 5–0 record.[232] In that stretch was a Week 4 38–17 home victory over the Miami Dolphins, where he had 413 passing yards and four touchdowns to earn NFC Offensive Player of the Week.[233][234] In Week 10, a 49–17 victory over the Dallas Cowboys, he had 392 passing yards and four touchdowns to earn another NFC Offensive Player of the Week honor.[235][236] In Week 12, Brees passed Warren Moon for fifth on the career passing yards list with 49,566.[237] During Week 14, Brees became the fastest player ever to join the 50,000-yard club and only the fifth player to do so.[238] He did it in 183 games, passing the 50,000 milestone on a pass to Jimmy Graham in the fourth quarter of a 31–13 Saints win over the Carolina Panthers on December 8, in which he threw four touchdowns.[239] In Week 17, a 42–17 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he had 381 passing yards and four touchdowns to earn his third NFC Offensive Player of the Week nod for the 2013 season.[240][241] Brees also extended his NFL record to a sixth straight season of at least 30 touchdown passes with 4,000 passing yards, his third straight 5,000-yard season, and his eighth straight 4,000-yard season.[242] For his successful performance in 2013, he was named to his eighth career Pro Bowl.[243] The Saints finished with an 11–5 record and narrowly defeated the Philadelphia Eagles in the Wild Card Round, but lost to the Seattle Seahawks in the Divisional Round, who went on to win Super Bowl XLVIII.[244] He finished ranked sixth by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2014.[245]

2014 season

See also: 2014 New Orleans Saints season

Brees admits that the 2014 season was his "most frustrating".[246] The Saints finished with a 7–9 record and missed the playoffs.[247] Brees' 2014 season began with a pair of games lost on game-ending field goals by the other team; in Week 1, the Saints lost 37–34 on the road to the Atlanta Falcons in overtime and in Week 2, in a 26–24 road loss to the Cleveland Browns, he moved into fourth place on the career passing yardage list, ahead of John Elway.[248][249][250] On October 19, in a road game against the Detroit Lions, Brees became the NFL's all-time leader in completion percentage at 66.21%, surpassing Chad Pennington.[251] On November 30, in a Week 13 35–32 road victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers, he had 257 passing yards and five touchdowns to earn NFC Offensive Player of the Week, which was the 20th time in his career he has earned the award over his career in both the AFC with the Chargers and the NFC with the Saints.[252][253] In a Week 15 road game against the Chicago Bears, he extended his streak to an NFL-record seventh straight season with at least 30 touchdown passes and nine straight seasons of 4,000 passing yards. However his streak of 5,000 passing yard seasons ended at three, as he passed for 4,952 yards, which was good enough to tie him with Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger for the most passing yards in the league that season. The occurrence marked the first time in NFL history that two players tied for the passing yards lead.[254][255] He was named to his seventh consecutive and ninth career Pro Bowl.[256] He was ranked 30th by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2015.[257]

 
Brees in 2015 at Fedex Field

2015 season

See also: 2015 New Orleans Saints season

Brees and the Saints started the 2015 season with an 0–3 start with two of the losses being by one possession. On October 4, 2015, in Week 4, his 80-yard touchdown pass to C. J. Spiller on the second play of overtime gave the Saints a 26–20 victory over the Dallas Cowboys, and the team's first win of the season.[258] He earned NFC Offensive Player of the Week for his effort against the Cowboys.[259][260] The touchdown gave Brees 400 for his career, making him the fifth player in NFL history to reach the 400 touchdown milestone. Also, he became the fastest player ever to reach 400 touchdowns, doing so in 205 games.[261] Brees also completed his 5,000th pass with a touchdown to tight end Josh Hill.[262][263] It was the quickest regular season overtime win in the history of the NFL at 13 seconds.[264]

On November 1, 2015, Brees tied the NFL record of touchdown passes in a game with seven during a 52–49 Saints win over the New York Giants.[265] In that game, he completed 39-of-50 passes for 505 yards to record his second career game with at least 500 passing yards.[266] He became the second player in NFL history to have multiple 500-yard passing games.[267] He earned NFC Offensive Player of the Week for his historic performance against the New York Giants.[268]

In Week 12, his streak of 45 consecutive games with a touchdown pass ended in a 24–6 loss at Houston.[269] Two weeks later, he surpassed Dan Marino for fourth in career touchdown passes as the Saints beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers by a score of 24–17.[270] In Week 15, he became the fourth quarterback to reach the 60,000-yard milestone—in 215 games, the fastest ever—and had his 10th straight 4,000-yard season, plus his 94th 300-yard game, but the Detroit Lions won 35–27. This put him first in most 300-yard games as Brees and Manning had been tied at 93 games prior to that game.[271] A week later, his streak was extended to an eighth straight season with at least 30 touchdown passes, plus his 95th 300-yarder, all NFL records, against the Jacksonville Jaguars.[272] With a Week 17 win over the Atlanta Falcons, Brees finished the season with four straight 300-yard games, for a career record total of 96, and a season total 4,870 yards passing, leading the league in passing yards for a record sixth time despite missing one game due to an injury.[273] Despite the accomplishments on the field, the Saints finished with a 7–9 record and missed the playoffs.[274] He was ranked 30th by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2016.[275]

2016 season

See also: 2016 New Orleans Saints season
External videos
  Video of Brees throwing an 87-yard touchdown pass to Brandin Cooks on YouTube

In the Saints' 2016 season opener, Brees threw a career-high 98-yard touchdown pass to Brandin Cooks in a narrow 35–34 home loss to the Oakland Raiders.[276] He finished the game 28–of–42 for 423 yards and four touchdown passes.[276] His 400-yard performance tied him with Peyton Manning for the most 400-yard passing games in NFL history.[276][277] The next week, he passed Dan Marino for third place in career passing yards in a loss to the New York Giants.[278]

On October 16, in Week 6, Brees threw for 465 yards and four touchdown passes with one interception in a 41–38 home win over the Carolina Panthers.[279] With this performance, Brees set an NFL record with the 15th 400-yard passing performance of his career.[280] Brees reached another milestone in the game, becoming the sixth player to record 50,000 passing yards with one team. The other five players are Peyton Manning (Indianapolis Colts), Brett Favre (Green Bay Packers), Dan Marino (Miami Dolphins), Tom Brady (New England Patriots), and John Elway (Denver Broncos).[277]

In Week 7, Brees became the first player in NFL history with 100 games of 300+ passing yards, in a loss against the Kansas City Chiefs on October 23.[281][282]

During Week 16, Brees and Aaron Rodgers tied the NFL record for most seasons with at least 35 touchdown passes with four—a record shared with Peyton Manning and Tom Brady.[283][284]

Brees finished the 2016 season leading the league in passing yards with 5,208, the second most of his career and the fifth 5,000-yard season of his career—more than all other 5,000-yard seasons combined (4).[285] He threw for 471 completions, breaking his NFL record of 468 set in 2011, and a career-high 673 attempts.[286] Brees finished third in touchdown passes with 37, the fourth most of his career. He finished second in completion percentage (70.0%),[287] making it the third time he has completed at least 70% of his passes in a season.[b] Despite his performance, for the third straight season, the Saints finished 7–9 and missed the playoffs.[288] He was named to his tenth career Pro Bowl for his 2016 season.[289] He was ranked 16th by his peers on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2017.[290]

2017 season

See also: 2017 New Orleans Saints season

Brees and the Saints started the 2017 season with a 0–2 record before reeling off eight consecutive wins.[291] In Week 13, he passed Peyton Manning for second place in career completions in a 31–21 victory over the Carolina Panthers.[292] On December 19, 2017, Brees was named to his 11th career Pro Bowl.[293] During Week 16 against the Atlanta Falcons, Brees became the third player to amass over 70,000 passing yards in a career, doing so in an NFL fastest 248 games.[294] In that game he also earned his 12th straight 4,000-yard season and finished the game with 239 passing yards, a touchdown, and an interception as the Saints won 23–13.[295] Brees finished the 2017 season by setting a then-NFL record 72.0 completion percentage.[296] 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).[297]

The Saints finished with an 11–5 record, won the NFC South, and returned to the playoffs for the first time since the 2013 season.[298] In the Wild Card Round against the Carolina Panthers, he had 376 passing yards, two touchdowns, and one interception in the 31–26 victory.[299] In the Divisional Round against the Minnesota Vikings, he had 294 passing yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions in the 29–24 loss.[300][301] He was ranked eighth by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2018.[302]

2018 season

See also: 2018 New Orleans Saints season

On March 13, 2018, Brees signed a two-year, $50 million contract extension with the Saints with $27 million guaranteed.[303]

In Week 1, Brees threw for more than 400 yards for a record 16th time in his career, but the Tampa Bay Buccaneers won 48–40.[304] In Week 3, against the Atlanta Falcons, Brees broke Brett Favre's record for career pass completions in the second quarter with his 6,301st career completion.[305] In that game, a 43–37 overtime Saints victory, Brees threw for 396 yards and three touchdowns, and also ran for two more scores, including the game-winner in overtime, earning him NFC Offensive Player of the Week.[306] In Week 5, on Monday Night Football against the Washington Redskins, Brees surpassed Peyton Manning for the NFL's all-time passing yardage record with a 62-yard touchdown pass to Tre'Quan Smith late in the second quarter.[307] He went on to complete 26 of 29 passes, setting a then career-high 89.66 single-game completion percentage, for 363 yards and three touchdowns in the 43–19 victory, earning him NFC Offensive Player of the Week for the second time in three weeks.[308] Following a bye week, Brees claimed his first career victory against the Baltimore Ravens with a score of 24–23, making him the third quarterback in NFL history to beat all 32 teams, joining Peyton Manning and Brett Favre.[309] During this game, Brees also became the fourth quarterback in NFL history, along with Manning, Favre, and Tom Brady, to reach 500 career touchdown passes when he threw a 1-yard touchdown to Benjamin Watson.[310] After a season-low 120 yards and his first interception of the season in a win over the Minnesota Vikings,[311] Brees logged 346 yards, four touchdowns, and zero interceptions to hand the Rams their first loss of the season in Week 9.[312] In a Week 10 matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals, Brees passed Brett Favre for second in career passing touchdowns with a 17-yard touchdown to Michael Thomas in a 51–14 victory.[313] Brees was named the NFC Offensive Player of the Month for November passing for 16 touchdowns to two interceptions in that stretch.[314]

Brees finished the season with 364 completions, 489 attempts, 3,992 passing yards, 32 passing touchdowns and five interceptions over 15 games.[315] He sat out the season finale after the Saints had clinched the NFC's #1 seed the week prior.[316] He set an NFL record for completion percentage (74.4%), breaking his previous record (72.0%) set in 2017,[317] and led the league in passer rating (a career high of 115.7). However, with his 3,992 yards, his NFL record streak of 12 consecutive seasons with at least 4,000 passing yards came to an end.[318] He led the league with six fourth quarter comebacks and seven game-winning drives.[319]

In the Divisional Round against the Philadelphia Eagles, the Saints started badly, quickly falling into a 14–0 hole, but recovered and scored 20 unanswered points over the final three quarters to win and advance to their first NFC Championship Game since their 2009 Super Bowl winning season. Brees completed 28 of 38 passes for 301 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception in the win.[320][321] In the NFC Championship, Brees passed for 249 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception as the Saints lost 26–23 in overtime to the Los Angeles Rams following a controversial missed pass interference call on a play that started at the Rams' 13-yard line with 1:49 left in regulation. If called, the penalty could have allowed the Saints to run out most of the clock, due to the Rams having only one timeout remaining, and try a go-ahead field goal that would have likely won the game for New Orleans.[322][323] Brees became the first and only player in NFL history to throw touchdown passes to 15 different players (of which nine were undrafted) in a single season, including the playoffs.[324] He finished second in the MVP voting to Patrick Mahomes.[325] He was ranked as the second best player in the NFL by his peers on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2019.[326]

2019 season

See also: 2019 New Orleans Saints season
 
Brees at the 2020 Pro Bowl

In the first game of the season, a Monday Night Football match against the Houston Texans, Brees threw for 370 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception as the Saints overcame a slow start to win 30–28.[327] In the Saints' Week 2 game against the Los Angeles Rams, Brees suffered an injury to his right hand on a hit from Aaron Donald which forced him out of the game.[328] The next day, an MRI revealed that Brees had suffered a torn ligament in the thumb of his right hand, which would require surgery and reportedly cause him to miss six to eight weeks.[329][330] Brees returned in Week 8 against the Arizona Cardinals, finishing with 373 passing yards, three touchdowns, and an interception as the Saints won 31–9.[331] In Week 14, against the San Francisco 49ers, Brees completed 29 of 40 passes for 349 yards, five touchdowns and no interceptions and scored a one-yard rushing touchdown, but his efforts were in vain as the Saints narrowly lost 48–46.[332] During Week 15 against the Indianapolis Colts on Monday Night Football, Brees broke former Colts quarterback Peyton Manning's record for most career touchdowns, throwing his 540th to tight end Josh Hill on his career-best 20th straight completion in the third quarter.[333] Brees's record-breaking touchdown pass was his third touchdown pass on the night. He finished the game with four touchdowns and 304 yards as the Saints defeated the Colts by a 34–7 score.[334] In addition, Brees completed 29 of his 30 pass attempts for a career high and NFL single game record 96.7% completion percentage rate, surpassing the previous record (28 out of 29 passes for a 96.6% completion percentage rate) which had been set the previous year by his former Chargers teammate Philip Rivers.[335] In the following week's game against the Tennessee Titans, Brees threw for 279 yards and three touchdowns during the 38–28 win. During the game, Brees helped wide receiver Michael Thomas break the single season receptions record formerly held by Marvin Harrison with his 144th catch of the season.[336] Brees earned NFC Offensive Player of the Month for December.[337] In the 2019 season, Brees appeared in 11 games and finished with 2,979 passing yards, 27 touchdowns, and four interceptions.[338] He finished with a completion percentage of 74.34%, which finished second in NFL history to his record from the previous season.[339]

In the Wild Card Round against the Minnesota Vikings, Brees threw for 208 yards, one touchdown, and one interception during the 26–20 overtime loss. In the game, Brees helped lead the Saints on a late drive to set up a game-tying field goal on a seven-play drive to force the overtime period.[340] He earned his 13th career Pro Bowl nomination after Russell Wilson gave up his spot.[341] He was ranked 12th by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2020.[342]

2020 season

See also: 2020 New Orleans Saints season

On March 17, 2020, Brees signed a two-year, $50 million contract extension with the Saints.[343]

In the Saints' regular-season opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and their new quarterback Tom Brady, Brees completed 18 of 30 passes for 160 passing yards and two touchdowns, breaking Brett Favre's record for most career pass attempts in the process, as the Saints won by a score of 34–23.[344] Following the Week 1 victory, Brees helped lead the Saints to a 5–2 stretch leading into a second matchup with Brady in Week 9. Against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday Night Football, he passed for 222 yards and four touchdowns in the 38–3 victory.[345] With the win over the Buccaneers, Brees defeated Brady head-to-head for the second time.[346]

On November 15, 2020, Brees left the Saints’ Week 10 game against the San Francisco 49ers following the first half with a rib injury suffered on a sack attempt from Kentavius Street.[347] Brees completed 8 of 13 passes for 76 yards and a touchdown before leaving the game.[348][349] 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.[350][351] On November 20, 2020, Brees was placed on injured reserve, thereby ruling him out for at least the following three games.[352][353] After missing four games, Brees was activated on December 19, 2020,[354] for the Saints' Week 15 game against the Kansas City Chiefs and threw for 234 yards, three touchdowns and one interception;[355] 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.[356] 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.[357] Overall, he finished the 2020 season with 2,942 passing yards, 24 touchdowns, and six interceptions in twelve games with the Saints finishing with a 12–4 record.[358]

In the Wild Card Round against the Chicago Bears, Brees threw for 265 yards and two touchdowns during the 21–9 win.[359] In the Divisional Round against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Brees threw for 134 yards and a touchdown but also threw three interceptions in a 30–20 loss.[360]

On February 6, 2021, the Saints renegotiated Brees' contract, which reduced his salary down to $1.075 million for the upcoming season to save salary cap space.[361] On March 14, 2021, exactly 15 years to the day that Brees signed his first contract with the New Orleans Saints, Brees announced his retirement after twenty seasons.[362] The Saints placed him on their reserve/retired list on June 11, 2021.[363]

NFL career statistics

Legend
AP NFL Offensive Player of the Year
Super Bowl MVP
Won the Super Bowl
NFL record
Led the league
Bold Career high

Regular season

Year Team Games Passing Rushing Sacked Fumbles
GP GS Record Cmp Att Pct Yds Y/A Y/G Lng TD Int Rtg Att Yds Y/A Lng TD Sck SckY Fum Lost
2001 SD 1 0 — 15 27 55.6 221 8.2 221.0 40 1 0 94.8 2 18 9.0 13 0 2 12 2 0
2002 SD 16 16 8−8 320 526 60.8 3,284 6.2 205.3 52 17 16 76.9 38 130 3.4 15 1 24 180 2 0
2003 SD 11 11 2−9 205 356 57.6 2,108 5.9 191.6 68 11 15 67.5 21 84 4.0 18 0 21 178 5 3
2004 SD 15 15 11−4 262 400 65.5 3,159 7.9 210.6 79 27 7 104.8 35 85 1.6 22 2 18 131 7 2
2005 SD 16 16 9−7 323 500 64.6 3,576 7.2 223.5 54 24 15 89.2 21 49 2.3 9 1 27 223 8 5
2006 NO 16 16 10−6 356 554 64.3 4,418 8.0 276.1 86 26 11 96.2 42 32 0.8 16 0 18 105 8 3
2007 NO 16 16 7−9 440 652 67.5 4,423 6.8 276.4 58 28 18 89.4 23 52 2.3 9 1 16 109 9 4
2008 NO 16 16 8−8 413 635 65.0 5,069 8.0 316.8 84 34 17 96.2 23 −1 0.0 9 0 13 92 6 1
2009 NO 15 15 13−2 363 514 70.6 4,388 8.5 292.5 75 34 11 109.6 22 33 1.5 10 2 20 135 10 6
2010 NO 16 16 11−5 448 658 68.1 4,620 7.0 288.8 80 33 22 90.9 18 −3 −0.2 7 0 25 185 9 2
2011 NO 16 16 13−3 468 657 71.2 5,476 8.3 342.3 79 46 14 110.6 21 86 4.1 20 1 24 158 1 1
2012 NO 16 16 7−9 422 670 63.0 5,177 7.7 323.6 80 43 19 96.3 15 5 0.3 11 1 26 190 5 1
2013 NO 16 16 11−5 446 650 68.6 5,162 7.9 322.6 76 39 12 104.7 35 52 1.5 16 3 37 244 6 2
2014 NO 16 16 7−9 456 659 69.2 4,952 7.5 309.5 69 33 17 97.0 27 68 2.5 13 1 29 186 7 3
2015 NO 15 15 7−8 428 627 68.3 4,870 7.8 324.7 80 32 11 101.0 24 14 0.6 12 1 31 235 5 2
2016 NO 16 16 7−9 471 673 70.0 5,208 7.7 325.5 98 37 15 101.7 23 20 0.9 7 2 27 184 5 4
2017 NO 16 16 11−5 386 536 72.0 4,334 8.1 270.9 54 23 8 103.9 33 12 0.4 7 2 20 145 5 0
2018 NO 15 15 13−2 364 489 74.4 3,992 8.2 266.1 72 32 5 115.7 31 22 0.7 11 4 17 121 5 1
2019 NO 11 11 8−3 281 378 74.3 2,979 7.9 270.8 61 27 4 116.3 9 −4 −0.4 2 1 12 89 0 0
2020 NO 12 12 9−3 275 390 70.5 2,942 7.5 245.2 52 24 6 106.4 18 −2 −0.1 3 2 13 89 6 2
Career 287 286 172−114 7,142 10,551 67.7 80,358 7.6 280.0 98 571 243 98.7 498 752 1.5 22 25 420 2,991 111 42

Postseason

Year Team Games Passing Rushing Sacked Fumbles
GP GS Record Cmp Att Pct Yds Y/A Y/G Lng TD Int Rtg Att Yds Y/A Lng TD Sck SckY Fum Lost
2004 SD 1 1 0−1 31 42 73.8 319 7.6 319.0 44 2 1 101.2 5 17 3.4 7 0 2 11 1 0
2006 NO 2 2 1−1 47 81 58.0 597 7.4 298.5 88 3 1 88.3 4 6 1.5 8 0 6 51 3 2
2009 NO 3 3 3−0 72 102 70.6 732 7.2 244.0 44 8 0 117.0 5 −4 −0.8 0 0 2 15 2 0
2010 NO 1 1 0−1 39 60 65.0 404 6.7 404.0 40 2 0 95.4 2 6 3.0 6 0 1 7 1 0
2011 NO 2 2 1−1 73 106 68.9 928 8.8 464.0 66 7 2 110.1 5 4 0.8 5 0 5 34 1 1
2013 NO 2 2 1−1 44 73 60.3 559 7.7 279.5 52 2 2 81.9 5 13 2.6 5 0 3 9 1 0
2017 NO 2 2 1−1 48 73 65.8 670 9.2 335.0 80 5 3 100.8 3 0 0.0 2 0 3 23 1 0
2018 NO 2 2 1−1 54 78 69.2 550 7.2 275.0 43 4 2 95.6 5 −2 −0.4 1 0 4 25 2 0
2019 NO 1 1 0−1 26 33 78.8 208 6.3 208.0 20 1 1 90.4 1 5 5.0 5 0 3 31 1 1
2020 NO 2 2 1−1 47 73 64.4 399 5.5 199.5 38 3 3 75.1 5 5 1.0 2 0 0 0 1 0
Career 18 18 9−9 481 721 66.7 5,366 7.4 298.1 88 37 15 97.1 40 50 1.3 8 0 29 206 14 4

Career awards and records

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

National Football League records

  • Most passing touchdowns, single game (7) (tied with 7 others)[368]
  • Best pass completion percentage, single season (74.4% in 2018)[369]
  • 2nd most passing yards, season: 5,476 (2011)[370]

New Orleans Saints franchise records

Brees holds numerous passing records for the Saints franchise:

  • Passing yards, career (68,010)[371]
  • Passing yards, single game (510)[117]
  • Passing touchdowns, career (491)[371]
  • Pass completions, career (6,017)[371]
  • Pass completions, single game (39) - Brees accomplished the 39 completions in four total games[142]
  • Pass attempts, career (8,742)[371]
  • Pass attempts, single game (60)[137]
  • Passing yards, single season (5,476) (2011)[372]
  • Passing touchdowns, single season (46) (2011)[372]
  • Pass completions, single season (471) (2016)[372]
  • Pass attempts, single season (673) (2016)[372]
  • Longest pass-play, (98 yards) (2016)[372]
  • Completion percentage, single season (74.4%)[372]
  • Completion percentage, career (67.7%)[372]

Broadcasting career

Following his retirement from the NFL, Brees was hired by NBC Sports to serve as the color analyst for the network's Notre Dame games and on Football Night in America, working in the booth alongside play-by-play announcer Mike Tirico.[373] He left after the season on May 15, 2022.[9]

Personal life

Brees married his college sweetheart Brittany Dudchenko in February 2003.[374] The couple have four children together; three sons born January 2009,[375] October 2010,[376] and August 2012,[377] and a daughter in August 2014.[378]

 
Brees announcing the Saints' draft pick at the 2010 NFL Draft

Brees moved to New Orleans not long after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina.[379] He admits that it was tough moving to a city that was still in shambles from the hurricane; however, he and Brittany immediately fell in love with the culture and "soul" of the city.[380] They purchased and renovated a home in Uptown New Orleans, where they still live.[381] Brees admits in an interview that he thinks his family is now completed especially because three boys and one girl were always the couple's dream.[382] All four children were born in New Orleans and are being raised there.[382] The four priorities in Brees's life are faith, family, football, and philanthropy; otherwise known as the "four F's" by Brees.[16] Brees kept a home in San Diego until he sold the property in 2012.[383][384]

Brees is a Baptist. Brees was raised as a Christian but stated that he became committed at age 17 when he was at church with a torn ACL and was wondering who he was and what his purpose was in life.[19][17] Brees later faced other trials such as tearing the labrum in his shoulder in 2005; however, he maintains that these setbacks only strengthened his relationship with God.[16][385]

A birthmark on the right side of his face led to bullying when he was younger.[386]

Throughout his youth, Brees attended Camp Champions, a co-ed summer camp in Marble Falls, Texas, for eight summers. Brees was twice voted "Most Outstanding Camper" by his peers during his tenure at the camp.[387]

On July 6, 2010, Brees released his first book,[22] entitled Coming Back Stronger: Unleashing the Hidden Power of Adversity, co-authored by Chris Fabry.[388] Coming Back Stronger opened at number 3 on the nonfiction bestseller list of The New York Times.[389][390]

In 2010, Brees appeared in the Season 7 finale of Entourage.[391]

Brees's mother, Mina Brees, died on August 7, 2009, at age 59, from a prescription drug overdose.[16] The death was ruled a suicide.[392] Brees was briefly excused from training camp for a "family matter".[393] In 2006, Brees described their relationship as "nonexistent" ever since he refused to hire his mother as his agent when he entered the NFL, saying that she undercut his dealings with other agents and tried to sell a book about him to Sports Illustrated without his knowledge, and later that year he told her to stop using his picture in TV commercials during her campaign for the Texas 3rd Court of Appeals.[394][395][396] After her death, Brees stated that this quote was three years old and that his relationship with his mother had been improving.[397] In his autobiography, released almost a year later, he wrote that their relationship had been on the mend[398] and that she had been looking forward to meeting his son, her first grandchild.

In April 2010, Brees was voted by fans as the cover athlete of EA Sports Madden NFL 11 video game.[399]

Brees wears #9 on his uniform in honor of late baseball player Ted Williams.[400]

Brees is sometimes known by the nicknames "Breesus" by Saints fans[401][402][403] and "Cool Brees", which he acquired during his younger years for his calmness under pressure.[28][404]

On March 30, 2010, Brees became the national spokesperson for AdvoCare International,[405] a multi-level marketing company,[406] which produces weight management, nutritional supplement, and personal care products.

 
Brees visiting U.S. soldiers in Kuwait, April 2007

Brees owns a variety of restaurant businesses. In May 2015, he purchased a 25% stake in "Walk-On's Bistreaux & Bar", a sports bar that originated in Baton Rouge and is currently expanding their franchising into other Gulf Coast states. In 2019, he opened a Walk-On's restaurant in Midland, Texas.[407] During initial talks with Walk-On's, Brees said that he was interested in bringing over some of the lessons that he had learned as a Jimmy John's franchise owner. He currently owns nine Jimmy John's stores with a tenth under construction as of August 2019.[408][409] Carl Buergler, Jimmy John's director of operations, played football at Purdue with Brees.[410]

When Brees broke the NFL record for all-time passing yards, he sent a personalized football and letter to those players that helped him reach the milestone.[411]

Brees utilizes former Major League Baseball player and coach Tom House as his mechanics coach.[412][413]

In 2019, Brees partnered with San Diego Surf Sports to help with the local youth sports scene in the San Diego area.[414]

Brees follows a strict diet, avoiding gluten, dairy, and nuts due to food allergies. He also has a regimented daily exercise routine, focusing on core strength exercises rather than heavy weight training.[415]

Brees was a Republican, but later changed his party affiliation to Independent.[416]

On June 3, 2020, during the George Floyd protests, Brees told Yahoo Finance that he stood by his 2016 opinion that kneeling during the national anthem was disrespectful to the flag and to the US.[417][418] Several of his teammates and other professional athletes expressed disappointment and anger at the statement.[418] He apologized early the next day.[417][419]

In 2023, Brees revealed in his own words that his right arm did not work anymore leaving him unable to throw a football. He said that his condition is a result of the dislocated shoulder injury he suffered during his time with the Chargers.[420]

Charity and volunteer activities

In 2010, Sports Illustrated described Brees as "an athlete as adored and appreciated as any in an American city today".[421] When Sports Illustrated selected him for the 2010 Sportsman of the Year award, it said the award was "[f]or not only leading the New Orleans Saints to the first Super Bowl title in the franchise's history, but also for helping lead the city of New Orleans' rebirth after the tragedy of Hurricane Katrina". The fact that he and his family lived in New Orleans proper, instead of the suburbs like many players did, further endeared him to fans.[186][381]

Brees Dream Foundation

In 2003, Brees and his wife, Brittany, founded the Brees Dream Foundation to support cancer patients and research in memory of Brittany's aunt who died of cancer. Since Brees' move to New Orleans, the foundation has expanded to provide assistance for Hurricane Katrina rebuilding projects. The foundation continues to fund and support various programs in San Diego, California, where Brees usually spends his offseasons, and West Lafayette, Indiana, where the couple's alma mater, Purdue, is located and where Brees returns to visit yearly.[422]

Brees and his foundation have been heavily involved in Hurricane Katrina recovery.[423] Drew and Brittany's Brees Dream Foundation announced a partnership[424][425] in 2007 with international children's charity Operation Kids, to rebuild and restore and recreate academic and athletic facilities, parks, and playgrounds, after-school programs, mentoring programs for the intellectually disabled, neighborhood revitalization projects and child care facilities in New Orleans. Brees also sponsors the Rebuilding Through Brotherhood program to invite fellow Sigma Chi members to the New Orleans community to build homes with the Habitat for Humanity.[426]

In July 2020, Brees and his wife, Brittany, partnered with Ochsner Health System and donated $5 million through the Brees Dream Foundation to help build numerous healthcare centers throughout Louisiana.[427][428]

To date, the Brees Dream Foundation has donated over $35 million to charitable causes worldwide.[429]

The Foundation was part of a joint initiative with BuildStrong and the Home Builders Institute to create the BuildStrong Academy. The academy offers students an opportunity to enhance their skills in the construction industry.[430]

Other activities

 
Brees signs autographs at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base on June 29, 2009, along with fellow NFL players Billy Miller and Donnie Edwards.

Brees has been on multiple USO tours throughout his career. In late June 2009, he visited the Guantanamo Bay detention camp. Following his return, Brees was quoted as stating that Guantanamo captives were being treated ten times better than convicts in U.S. prisons.[431][432][433][434]

In February 2008, Brees signed a promotional deal with Chili's Grill & Bar to promote the chain's new line of hamburgers.[435] The promotion helped raise money for charity. In June 2008, Brees participated in the Pro Sports Team Challenge, a competition for professional athletes to help raise money for charities. The charity Brees played for was Operation Kids.[436]

On February 18, 2007, Brees was honored by the Krewe of Bacchus, a New Orleans Mardi Gras parade organization, as the 2007 Grand Marshal of the Bacchus parade.[437] Brees presided as Bacchus XLII for the 2010 parade on February 14, 2010, one week after the Super Bowl during Mardi Gras season.[438]

In June 2010, President Obama appointed Brees to be co-chair of the newly renamed President's Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition, along with former Olympic gymnast Dominique Dawes.[439][440]

In October 2010, Brees appeared in an It Gets Better video, in which he gave an anti-bullying message in the wake of a series of suicides committed by gay teenagers.[441]

In April 2018, Brees filed a lawsuit against a San Diego jeweler. The lawsuit claims Brees and his wife paid $15 million for investment-grade diamonds that an independent appraiser valued at only $6 million.[442][443] On June 21, 2019, Brees was awarded $6 million in the lawsuit.[444]

In March 2019, Brees partnered with Brandon Landry, co-founder of Walk-On's, launching a new restaurant.[445]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Co-winner this season alongside Joe Germaine
  2. ^ Brees completed 69.985% of his passes during the 2016 season, which was rounded up to 70%.

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January 25, 2024
drew, brees, brees, redirects, here, surname, including, list, people, with, name, brees, surname, drew, christopher, brees, born, january, 1979, american, former, football, quarterback, played, national, football, league, seasons, member, orleans, saints, mos. Brees redirects here For the surname including a list people with the name see Brees surname Drew Christopher Brees b r iː z 1 born January 15 1979 is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League NFL for 20 seasons 2 A member of the New Orleans Saints for most of his career Brees is second in career passing yards career touchdown passes career pass completions and career completion percentage 3 Brees also holds the record of consecutive games with a touchdown pass breaking the record held by Johnny Unitas for 52 years He is regarded as one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time 4 5 6 Drew BreesBrees in 2020No 9Position QuarterbackPersonal informationBorn 1979 01 15 January 15 1979 age 45 Dallas Texas U S Height 6 ft 0 in 1 83 m Weight 209 lb 95 kg Career informationHigh school Westlake Austin Texas College Purdue 1997 2000 NFL Draft 2001 Round 2 Pick 32Career historyAs a player San Diego Chargers 2001 2005 New Orleans Saints 2006 2020 As a coach Purdue 2022 Interim assistant coachCareer highlights and awardsSuper Bowl champion XLIV Super Bowl MVP XLIV 2 NFL Offensive Player of the Year 2008 2011 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year 2006 NFL Comeback Player of the Year 2004 First team All Pro 2006 4 Second team All Pro 2008 2009 2011 2018 13 Pro Bowl 2004 2006 2008 2014 2016 2019 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 6 NFL completion percentage leader 2009 2011 2017 2019 Art Rooney Award 2018 Bart Starr Award 2011 AP Athlete of the Year 2010 SI Sportsperson of the Year 2010 Bert Bell Award 2009 George Halas Award 2007 Maxwell Award 2000 Third team All American 1999 2 Graham George Offensive Player of the Year 1998 a 2000 2 First team All Big Ten 1999 2000 Second team All Big Ten 1998 NFL recordsMost consecutive games with a touchdown pass 54 Highest completion percentage in a season 74 4 2018 Highest completion percentage in a game 96 7 Most touchdown passes in a game 7 tied Career NFL statisticsPassing attempts 10 551Passing completions 7 142Completion percentage 67 7 TD INT 571 243Passing yards 80 358Passer rating 98 7Rushing yards 752Rushing touchdowns 25Player stats at NFL com PFRBrees played college football for the Purdue Boilermakers where he set the Big Ten Conference records for completions attempts and yards Due to questions over his height and arm strength however he was not selected until the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft by the San Diego Chargers Brees initially struggled before having a breakout season in 2004 earning him Pro Bowl and Comeback Player of the Year honors Re signed to a one year contract Brees suffered a potentially career ending injury the following season which resulted in the Chargers allowing him to leave in free agency Joining the Saints he brought new success to a franchise that had only seven winning seasons five playoff appearances and one postseason win during the 39 years prior to his arrival From 2006 to 2020 Brees led the Saints to nine playoff appearances seven division titles including four consecutive from 2017 to 2020 three NFC Championship Game appearances and the franchise s first Super Bowl title in Super Bowl XLIV earning him the game s MVP award 7 At the conclusion of his 15 seasons in New Orleans Brees extended his total Pro Bowl selections to 13 and was twice named Offensive Player of the Year He also led the NFL in passing yards a record seven times Brees retired after the 2020 season and spent the following year as an analyst on NBC Sunday Night Football 8 9 He returned to Purdue as an interim assistant football coach in 2022 10 Contents 1 Early life and high school 2 College career 2 1 College statistics 3 Professional career 3 1 San Diego Chargers 2001 2005 3 1 1 2001 NFL Draft 3 1 2 Early career 3 1 3 2004 season 3 1 4 2005 season 3 2 New Orleans Saints 2006 2020 3 2 1 2006 season 3 2 2 2007 season 3 2 3 2008 season 3 2 4 2009 season Super Bowl XLIV 3 2 5 2010 season 3 2 6 2011 season 3 2 7 2012 season 3 2 8 2013 season 3 2 9 2014 season 3 2 10 2015 season 3 2 11 2016 season 3 2 12 2017 season 3 2 13 2018 season 3 2 14 2019 season 3 2 15 2020 season 4 NFL career statistics 4 1 Regular season 4 2 Postseason 5 Career awards and records 5 1 National Football League records 5 2 New Orleans Saints franchise records 6 Broadcasting career 7 Personal life 8 Charity and volunteer activities 8 1 Brees Dream Foundation 8 2 Other activities 9 See also 10 Notes 11 References 12 External linksEarly life and high schoolBrees was born on January 15 1979 11 in Dallas Texas to Eugene Wilson Chip Brees II a prominent trial lawyer and Mina Ruth nee Akins died 2009 an attorney His grandfather fought in the Battle of Okinawa 12 13 A Sports Illustrated article stated he was named for Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Drew Pearson 14 but in a 2014 interview Brees said this story was just legend 15 He has a younger brother Reid born 1981 When Brees was seven his parents divorced and shared custody of the boys who split their time between both parents homes Today he admits that it was a very tough and challenging life after the divorce however Brees and his younger brother Reid supported each other and became very close 16 They have a younger half sister Audrey from their father s remarriage to Amy Hightower daughter of the late U S Representative D TX Jack English Hightower 17 18 Brees was raised Baptist 19 Both of Brees s parents had athletic backgrounds His father played basketball at Texas A amp M and his mother was a former all state athlete in three sports in high school 20 21 His maternal uncle Marty Akins was an All American starting quarterback for the Texas Longhorns college football team from 1972 to 1975 18 22 and his maternal grandfather Ray Akins had the third most victories as a Texas high school football coach in his three decades at Gregory Portland High School 23 24 25 His younger brother Reid was an outfielder for the Baylor Bears baseball team which made the 2005 College World Series Reid now resides in Colorado where he works in sales 22 26 After moving to the Austin area Brees did not play tackle football until high school and was on the flag football team at St Andrew s Episcopal School where his teammates included actor Ben McKenzie who was in the same year In high school he was a varsity letterman in baseball basketball and football 27 and was considering playing college baseball rather than football 28 College recruiters quickly ran after Brees blew out his knee in the 11th grade 16 After overcoming the ACL tear he was selected as Texas High School 5A Most Valuable Offensive Player in 1996 and led the Austin Westlake High School football team to a 16 0 record and a state championship 18 29 As a high school football player Brees completed 314 of 490 passes 64 1 percent for 5 461 yards with 50 touchdowns including in his senior season 211 of 333 passes 63 4 percent for 3 528 yards with 31 touchdowns 30 When Brees started for two seasons Westlake went 28 0 1 and beat a Dominic Rhodes led Abilene Cooper 55 15 in the 1996 title game 23 30 31 He was given honorable mention in the state high school all star football team and the USA Today All USA high school football team 32 alongside former San Diego Chargers teammate and longtime friend LaDainian Tomlinson 17 33 Brees had hoped to follow in his father s and uncle s footsteps and play for the Texas Longhorns or Texas A amp M Aggies but was not heavily recruited despite his stellar record 18 34 College careerBrees received offers from only two colleges Purdue and Kentucky choosing Purdue for its highly rated academics 21 He graduated in 2001 with a degree in industrial management 35 and is a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity 36 After a relatively uneventful freshman season Brees was given his first start during his sophomore year by Boilermakers head coach Joe Tiller and became an integral part of Tiller and Jim Chaney s unorthodox basketball on grass spread offense serving as offensive captain during his junior and senior years 37 38 In the 1998 season in a game against Wisconsin Brees tied an NCAA single game record with 55 completions and set the NCAA record for pass attempts in a single game with 83 He finished 31 24 loss with 494 yards two touchdowns and four interceptions 39 He had the option to make himself available for the 2000 NFL Draft but chose to return for his senior year to complete his studies 40 In 2000 he led the Boilermakers to memorable last minute upsets against top ranked Ohio State 41 and Michigan en route to the Boilermakers first Big Ten championship shared with Michigan and Northwestern since 1967 42 The Ohio State game was replayed on ESPN Classic and is widely remembered for Brees s four interceptions and 64 yard touchdown pass to Seth Morales with 1 55 remaining to seal a vital 31 27 win prompting commentator Brent Musburger to exclaim Holy Toledo and a post game field rush 43 44 45 Brees helped lead Purdue to a 9 ranking in the AP Poll the program s highest spot since the 1980 season during the year 46 47 Due to head to head victories over Michigan and Northwestern Purdue won the invitation to the 2001 Rose Bowl which was the school s first appearance there since 1967 48 Brees was a finalist for the Davey O Brien Award as the nation s best quarterback in 1999 49 He won the Maxwell Award as the nation s outstanding player of 2000 50 and the NCAA s Today s Top VIII Award as a member of the Class of 2001 51 Brees was also fourth in Heisman Trophy voting in 1999 and third in 2000 52 As a senior Brees became the first Boilermaker since Bruce Brineman in 1989 to earn Academic All America honors 53 54 55 56 Additionally he won Academic All Big Ten honors a record three times 57 was initiated into Mortar Board 54 and awarded the Big Ten Medal of Honor 58 and the NFF National Scholar Athlete Award 59 60 Brees also was awarded Purdue s Leonard Wilson Award for unselfishness and dedication 61 In his college career Brees set two NCAA records 13 Big Ten Conference records and 19 Purdue University records 62 He left Purdue with Big Ten Conference records in passing yards 11 792 27 touchdown passes 90 total offensive yards 12 693 completions 1 026 and attempts 1 678 37 He tied an NCAA record with the 99 yard pass to receiver Vinny Sutherland against Northwestern on September 25 1999 and held the NCAA record for pass attempts in a game 83 for 15 years until Washington State quarterback Connor Halliday broke it in October 2013 63 64 In 2009 Brees was inducted into Purdue s Intercollegiate Athletics Hall of Fame 65 The Big Ten Conference s Griese Brees Quarterback of the Year award initiated in 2011 was named in his and Bob Griese s honor 66 He was named the Big Ten s best quarterback of the 1990s 67 and ranked number 48 on the 2010 documentary Big Ten Icons featuring the conference s top fifty student athletes 68 69 70 College statistics Season Team GP PassingCmp Att Pct Yds TD Int1997 Purdue 8 19 43 44 2 232 0 11998 Purdue 13 361 569 63 4 3 983 39 201999 Purdue 12 337 554 60 8 3 909 25 122000 Purdue 12 309 512 60 4 3 668 26 12Total 45 1 026 1 678 61 1 11 792 90 45Professional careerPre draft measurables Height Weight Arm length Hand span 40 yard dash 10 yard split 20 yard split 20 yard shuttle Three cone drill Vertical jump Broad jump Wonderlic6 ft 0 1 4 in 1 84 m 213 lb 97 kg 31 in 0 79 m 10 1 4 in 0 26 m 4 83 s 1 66 s 2 75 s 4 21 s 7 09 s 32 in 0 81 m 8 ft 9 in 2 67 m 28All values from NFL Combine 71 San Diego Chargers 2001 2005 2001 NFL Draft Brees s college success led to projections that he would be a mid late first round draft pick in the 2001 NFL Draft 72 but he slipped due to concerns about his relatively short stature for a professional quarterback 6 0 a perceived lack of arm strength and a sense that he had succeeded in college in a spread offense Brees was the second quarterback selected in the 2001 NFL Draft behind Michael Vick of Virginia Tech 73 He was chosen by the San Diego Chargers with the first pick of the second round with the 32nd overall pick 74 San Diego originally had the first pick in that draft but traded it to Atlanta who drafted Vick in return for the fifth pick of the first round with which San Diego drafted LaDainian Tomlinson 74 Early career See also 2001 San Diego Chargers season 2002 San Diego Chargers season and 2003 San Diego Chargers season In his rookie season Brees was the backup quarterback to Doug Flutie who started all 16 games that season 75 Brees played in his first professional game on November 4 2001 against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 8 He came into the game to relieve Flutie who had suffered a concussion 76 He finished with 221 passing yards and his first career passing touchdown a 20 yard pass to Freddie Jones 77 The game against the Chiefs was Brees s lone appearance as a rookie On August 19 2002 he was named the starter for the 2002 season over Doug Flutie 78 Brees started all 16 games for the Chargers The season started off well for the Chargers with a 6 1 start but faded down the stretch with a 2 7 record over the last nine games to finish 8 8 79 He finished the 2002 season with 3 284 passing yards 17 touchdowns and 16 interceptions 80 In Week 4 of the 2003 season Brees recorded a 21 yard touchdown reception on a pass thrown by LaDainian Tomlinson in the 34 31 overtime loss to the Oakland Raiders 81 After a disappointing 1 7 start to the 2003 season Brees was replaced by Flutie though he regained the job by Week 15 82 83 In 11 games he finished with 2 108 passing yards 11 touchdowns and 15 interceptions 84 2004 season See also 2004 San Diego Chargers season Brees s career with the Chargers was in jeopardy after San Diego acquired NC State s Philip Rivers after the 2004 NFL Draft 85 With a looming quarterback controversy he performed well through training camp and the preseason while Rivers held out during training camp essentially guaranteeing Brees the job to begin the season with Rivers as his backup 86 87 Brees remained the starter throughout the 2004 season where he started 15 games and led the team to a 12 4 regular season record 88 In Week 8 against the Oakland Raiders he was 22 of 25 for 281 yards and five touchdowns in the 42 14 victory to earn his first AFC Offensive Player of the Week honor 89 90 Brees posted spectacular numbers completing 65 5 of his passes for 3 159 yards with 27 touchdowns to only seven interceptions giving him a 104 8 passer rating 91 The Chargers won the AFC West for the first time in 10 seasons and Brees was selected to the 2004 Pro Bowl 92 93 He was named 2004 NFL Comeback Player of the Year 94 In the Wild Card Round against the New York Jets Brees had 319 passing yards two passing touchdowns and one interception in the 20 17 overtime loss 95 2005 season See also 2005 San Diego Chargers season Brees became a free agent after the 2004 season and was not expected to return to San Diego which had already committed a large sum of money to Rivers The team eventually designated Brees a franchise player giving him a one year contract that quadrupled his pay to 8 million for 2005 Under the terms of the franchise player contract Brees was eligible to be traded or to sign with another team but the Chargers would receive two future first round draft choices in return He was not traded and continued as the starting quarterback for the remainder of the 2005 season 96 After a 1 2 start Brees helped lead a 41 17 victory over the New England Patriots He was 19 of 24 for 248 passing yards and two touchdowns and earned AFC Offensive Player of the Week for the effort 97 98 He posted a career high in passing yards with 3 576 Brees also posted an 89 2 rating 10th best in the NFL 99 100 However in the last game of the 2005 season against the Denver Broncos Brees tore his labrum while trying to pick up his own fumble after being hit by Broncos safety John Lynch 101 Denver tackle Gerard Warren hit Brees while he was on the ground causing the injury 102 Brees underwent arthroscopic surgery performed by Dr James Andrews to repair the torn labrum in his right throwing shoulder on January 5 2006 103 Subsequent reports mentioned additional rotator cuff damage and he also was treated by Dr Saby Szajowitz to recover and regain muscle movement 104 After the season the Chargers offered Brees a five year 50 million contract that paid 2 million in base salary the first year and the rest heavily based on performance incentives 105 New Orleans Saints 2006 2020 After the Chargers refused to increase their offer Brees met with other teams The New Orleans Saints and the Miami Dolphins were interested in Brees 106 New Orleans made an offer that included 10 million in guaranteed money the first year and a 12 million option the second year Miami was unsure whether Brees shoulder was completely healed and doctors suggested the team should not sign him because of the injury 107 108 The Dolphins ended negotiations and traded for Minnesota Vikings quarterback Daunte Culpepper instead 109 Brees signed a six year 60 million deal with the Saints on March 14 2006 110 The Dolphins decision to not sign Brees was the reason why Nick Saban resigned and left for Alabama 111 2006 season See also 2006 New Orleans Saints season Brees had a productive first year with the Saints The team under first year head coach Sean Payton rebounded from its disastrous 2005 season when the team was unable to play in New Orleans due to the damage caused by Hurricane Katrina and struggled to a 3 13 record to finish with a 10 6 regular season record and won the NFC South division title The Saints also earned the NFC s second seed as well as a first round bye 112 113 On November 5 in the 31 14 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers he had 314 passing yards and three touchdowns to earn his first NFC Offensive Player of the Week honor 114 115 On November 19 in a 31 16 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals he threw for a career high 510 passing yards two touchdowns and three interceptions 116 Brees s 510 passing yards marked a single game franchise record and was the sixth most for a single game in NFL history at the time 117 In Week 14 a 42 17 victory over the Dallas Cowboys he had 384 passing yards and five touchdowns to earn his second NFC Offensive Player of the Week award in 2006 118 119 Brees threw a league leading and franchise record 4 418 passing yards finished third in the league with 26 touchdown passes and 11 interceptions and had a 96 2 passer rating 120 Brees was named starting quarterback for the NFC in the 2007 Pro Bowl 121 and was named as a First team All Pro 122 On January 5 2007 Brees was named first runner up behind former teammate Tomlinson for league MVP by the Associated Press 123 Brees and Tomlinson were co recipients of the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award 124 On January 13 2007 in his first playoff game for New Orleans Brees was 20 of 32 in passing attempts with one touchdown and no interceptions against the Philadelphia Eagles in the Divisional Round at the Louisiana Superdome 125 The Saints held on to win 27 24 and advanced to the franchise s first NFC Championship Game against the Chicago Bears Though he completed 27 of 49 passes for 354 yards and two touchdowns Brees committed three costly turnovers and was penalized for an intentional grounding in the endzone resulting in a safety as the Saints lost in the NFC Championship by a score of 39 14 126 Brees dislocated his left elbow during the first quarter of the Pro Bowl 127 2007 season See also 2007 New Orleans Saints season Brees s second season with the Saints started rough with a 0 4 start with three losses by the Saints in that stretch by at least 17 points 128 129 130 However the Saints started a winning streak after Week 5 In Week 8 a 31 10 victory over the San Francisco 49ers he had 336 passing yards and four touchdowns to earn NFC Offensive Player of the Week 131 132 After the next game a 41 24 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars the Saints were back at 500 with a 4 4 record 133 In Week 15 a 31 24 victory over the Arizona Cardinals he had 315 passing yards and two touchdowns to earn another NFC Offensive Player of the Week nod in 2007 134 135 In Week 17 against the Chicago Bears Brees tied Aaron Brooks s franchise record for pass attempts in a single game with 60 in the 33 25 loss 136 137 Overall in the 2007 season Brees passed for 4 423 yards topped his own record and tied a then franchise record with 28 touchdowns 138 He also set the NFL record previously held by Rich Gannon for pass completions in a single season with 440 139 However the Saints missed the playoffs with a 7 9 record 140 2008 season nbsp Brees in 2008 at Fedex FieldSee also 2008 New Orleans Saints season In 2008 the Saints again missed the playoffs but Brees had a strong year statistically finishing 15 yards short of the NFL record for passing yards thrown in a single season set by Dan Marino in 1984 141 In Week 3 against the Denver Broncos Brees set a single game franchise record for pass completions with 39 in the 34 32 loss 142 He passed for 421 yards and a passing touchdown in the loss 143 Brees earned NFC Offensive Player of the Month for September going over 300 passing yards and having a passer rating over 110 in three of the four games 144 In Week 6 a 34 3 victory over the Oakland Raiders he was 26 of 30 for 320 yards and three touchdowns to earn NFC Offensive Player of the Week 145 146 In Week 8 a 37 32 victory over the San Diego Chargers he had 339 passing yards and three touchdowns to earn another NFC Offensive Player of the Week nod 147 148 In Week 12 a 51 29 win over the Green Bay Packers he had 323 passing yards and four touchdowns to earn his third NFC Offensive Player of the Week honor in 2008 149 150 He finished the season with 5 069 yards and became the second quarterback in NFL history to throw for over 5 000 yards in a season 151 152 153 He passed for 300 yards ten times during the 2008 season tying Rich Gannon s 2002 record He was named FedEx Air Player of the Week for his performances during Weeks 8 and 12 and was named the AP 2008 Offensive Player of the Year 154 He was named to his third career Pro Bowl for his 2008 season 155 Brees started to serve on the executive committee of the National Football League Players Association this season 156 He remained on the committee through the 2014 season 157 158 2009 season Super Bowl XLIV See also 2009 New Orleans Saints season nbsp Brees celebrating the Super Bowl win with his son BaylenIn the first game of the 2009 season against the Detroit Lions Brees set a career high and franchise tying record with six touchdown passes going 26 out of 34 for 358 yards He earned NFC Offensive Player of the Week for his performance against the Lions 159 160 The next week Brees led the Saints to a 48 22 win over the Philadelphia Eagles throwing for 311 yards and three touchdown passes 161 Brees also tied the record for most touchdown passes by the end of Week 2 with nine touchdowns 162 Following Week 3 Brees was named NFC Offensive Player of the Month for September 163 In Week 6 against the 5 0 New York Giants Brees completed 23 of 30 passes for 369 yards four touchdown passes and a passer rating of 156 8 in a dominant 48 27 victory to his second NFC Offensive Player of the Week nod of the season 164 165 In Week 7 Brees led a dramatic comeback victory on the road against the Miami Dolphins 46 34 The Saints quickly faced a 24 3 deficit in the second quarter trailing for the first time all season at that point and failing to score on their first possession as they had in all of their previous contests Brees had a poor outing but provided two crucial rushing touchdowns one just before halftime to narrow the deficit to 24 10 and one in the third quarter to give the Saints their first lead of the game 37 34 166 The next week Brees threw for 308 yards on 25 of 33 passing along with two touchdowns and one interception in leading the Saints to a 35 27 victory and franchise tying best start at 7 0 against the rival Atlanta Falcons 167 In week 9 Brees helped guide the team to a 30 20 victory over the Carolina Panthers This was Brees s first victory over the Carolina Panthers in the Superdome and gave the Saints their best ever start in franchise history at 8 0 168 In Week 12 Brees led the Saints to an 11 0 record defeating the New England Patriots 38 17 on Monday Night Football Brees totaled 371 yards passing posting a perfect passer rating of 158 3 and became the first player to throw for five touchdowns against a team coached by Bill Belichick 169 He earned his third NFC Offensive Player of the Week nod for the 2009 season 170 171 After close victories over the Washington Redskins and Falcons in successive weeks to start 13 0 Brees and the Saints lost for the first time that season to the Dallas Cowboys 24 17 after DeMarcus Ware caused a Brees fumble in the final seconds ending a fourth quarter rally 172 The Saints lost their last two games with Brees sitting out the Week 17 finale against the Carolina Panthers 173 Their 13 3 record secured the 1 seed in the NFC 174 The 13 regular season victories set a single season franchise record for the Saints 175 Brees s individual statistics led to numerous accolades 176 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 177 178 He finished the season with a completion percentage of 70 62 establishing a new NFL record 179 180 In the Divisional Round Brees recorded 247 passing yards and three touchdowns as the Saints routed the Arizona Cardinals 45 14 In the NFC Championship The Saints defeated the Minnesota Vikings 31 28 in overtime to help the Saints advance to their first Super Bowl appearance in franchise history 181 Brees completed 17 of 31 passes for 197 yards and three touchdowns 182 The Saints defeated the Indianapolis Colts 31 17 in Super Bowl XLIV on February 7 2010 Brees tied a Super Bowl record with 32 pass completions and won the Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Award 183 He threw for 288 yards and two touchdowns 184 It was the first league championship in Saints franchise history 185 Brees was named the 2010 Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year both for his winning the Super Bowl and his charitable work towards the reconstruction of New Orleans 186 On December 17 2010 he was named AP Male Athlete of the Year Within four short years after joining the Saints Brees was more accurate in his throws than any of the Saints past quarterbacks 182 Brees and his teammates were welcomed back to New Orleans with a blues band along with thousands of celebrating fans 182 2010 season See also 2010 New Orleans Saints season In the 2010 regular season Brees passed for over 300 yards seven times and helped lead the Saints to a six game winning streak late in the season 187 The Saints qualified for the playoffs with a 11 5 record but were eliminated in the Wild Card Round by the Seattle Seahawks by a score of 41 36 in the Beast Quake game 188 Brees finished with 404 passing yards and two passing touchdowns in the loss 189 Brees was selected to his fifth Pro Bowl fourth with the Saints 190 Brees had a less successful season statistically throwing a career high 22 interceptions tying the franchise record held by Aaron Brooks although he managed to throw for 4 620 yards and 33 touchdowns 191 He was ranked ninth on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2011 players list 192 2011 season See also 2011 New Orleans Saints season Individual Records Set or Tied The 2011 season was a record breaking season for Brees as he led the NFL in completion percentage passing yards and passing touchdowns which is known as the Triple Crown 193 He broke Dan Marino s 27 year old record for most passing yards in one season 5 084 in the 15th game of the season week 16 against the Atlanta Falcons at home in New Orleans at the Mercedes Benz Superdome with a touchdown pass to Darren Sproles Brees also set a new Saints franchise record for passing touchdowns in a season with 46 194 In Week 2 during the Saints home opener Brees defeated the Chicago Bears for the first time in his career as a starting quarterback leaving the Baltimore Ravens as the only remaining NFL team which Brees had never beaten to that point 195 On October 23 in a 62 7 victory over the Indianapolis Colts he was 31 of 35 for 325 passing yards and five touchdowns 196 He earned NFC Offensive Player of the Week for his performance against the Colts 197 On November 28 a Week 12 49 24 victory over the New York Giants he had 363 passing yards and four touchdowns to earn NFC Offensive Player of the Week 198 199 In a home game on December 4 against the Detroit Lions Brees passed for 342 yards 200 Brees s performance gave him 4 031 yards on the season making him the first quarterback in NFL history to eclipse the 4 000 yard mark in the first 12 games of a season and the first quarterback to reach four consecutive seasons with 4 000 yards and 30 touchdown passes In Week 15 against the Minnesota Vikings Brees threw for 412 yards with five passing touchdowns With that game Brees became the first quarterback in NFL history to throw for five touchdowns 400 yards while also maintaining a completion percentage of 80 in a game 201 202 In Week 16 against the Atlanta Falcons at the Mercedes Benz Superdome Brees broke Dan Marino s longstanding record of passing yards in a single season of 5 084 with a nine yard touchdown pass to Darren Sproles with just under three minutes left in the fourth quarter of the game He needed 305 yards to break the record entering the game and exceeded that mark with 307 He ended the game having thrown for 5 087 total passing yards for the regular season with one game remaining With his second quarter eight yard touchdown pass to Marques Colston Brees extended his streak of consecutive games with a touchdown pass to 42 games Marino congratulated Brees via Twitter after the game saying Congrats to drewbrees Great job by such a special player Brees responded by tweeting Thanks to DanMarino for his class and support during this run It is an honor to attempt to follow the example he set for us all 203 204 He earned his third and final NFC Offensive Player of the Week honor for the 2011 season with his performance against the Falcons 205 In Week 17 against the Carolina Panthers Brees closed out the season by setting six NFL records finishing the year with 468 completions for 5 476 yards edging out Tom Brady of the New England Patriots who also surpassed Marino s record with 5 235 yards 206 He earned NFC Offensive Player of the Month for December to close out the season 207 Brees averaged 342 25 yards passing per game which broke Dan Fouts s record of 320 3 in a strike shortened 1982 season 208 209 In 2013 Peyton Manning bested Brees s record by one passing yard and finished the season with an NFL record 5 477 passing yards averaging 342 31 yards per game 210 In the NFC Wild Card Round Brees passed for 466 yards and three passing touchdowns as the Saints defeated the Detroit Lions by a score of 45 28 211 At the time Brees s 466 passing yards marked the second most in a playoff game in NFL history He did set the NFL record for passing yards in a regulation playoff game 212 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 contest 213 In the loss Brees passed for 462 passing yards four passing touchdowns and two interceptions 214 He was named to his sixth career Pro Bowl 215 He was ranked as the second best player in the league by his peers on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2012 216 2012 season nbsp Brees at the 2013 Pro BowlSee also 2012 New Orleans Saints season On July 13 the Saints and Brees agreed to a five year 100 million contract The contract included the largest amount of guaranteed money in NFL history at 60 million 40 million of the contract was paid the first year 217 Due to the year long suspension of head coach Sean Payton as a result of Bountygate Brees entered the season with a temporary head coach in the form of offensive line coach Aaron Kromer who was the Saints coach for the first six games of the season while planned interim coach Joe Vitt was serving a suspension of his own After Week 8 Vitt took over head coaching responsibilities for the rest of the 2012 season Brees and the Saints started the season with a 0 4 record 218 One highlight in that losing streak was in Week 4 when he passed for 446 yards and three touchdowns in a 28 27 loss to the Green Bay Packers 219 In Week 5 Brees threw a 40 yard touchdown pass to Devery Henderson against his former team the San Diego Chargers This was his 48th consecutive game with a touchdown pass With that touchdown pass Brees broke Johnny Unitas s consecutive game streak with at least one touchdown pass and Unitas son Joe was present at the Superdome to witness his father s 52 year old record being broken 220 Sean Payton Joe Vitt and Mickey Loomis who were all serving suspensions due to the Bountygate scandal were granted permission to watch the Week 5 game against the San Diego Chargers due to Brees potentially breaking Unitas record 221 Brees earned NFC Offensive Player of the Week for his 370 yard four touchdown and one interception effort against the Chargers 222 223 Without their head coach the Saints had lost their first four games but ended the losing streak with a 31 24 win over the Chargers 224 In the Week 13 game against the Atlanta Falcons Brees threw no touchdowns and a career high five interceptions ending his consecutive game streak with at least one touchdown pass at 54 225 In Week 14 against the New York Giants Brees threw for 354 yards giving him his seventh straight 4 000 yard passing season surpassing Peyton Manning s record of sixth straight seasons 226 It was also his fifth straight season with at least 30 touchdown passes and 4 000 yards passing also an NFL record Brees managed to finish the 2012 season with 5 177 passing yards and 43 touchdowns despite having the worst defensive support in the NFL whose 7 042 yards conceded was an all time NFL record and the team finished the season with a 7 9 record and missed the playoffs 227 228 For the seventh time Brees was selected to the 2013 Pro Bowl this time as an injury replacement for Robert Griffin III 229 230 He was ranked 11th by his peers on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2013 231 nbsp Brees in 2013 2013 season See also 2013 New Orleans Saints season Brees and the Saints started the 2013 season with a 5 0 record 232 In that stretch was a Week 4 38 17 home victory over the Miami Dolphins where he had 413 passing yards and four touchdowns to earn NFC Offensive Player of the Week 233 234 In Week 10 a 49 17 victory over the Dallas Cowboys he had 392 passing yards and four touchdowns to earn another NFC Offensive Player of the Week honor 235 236 In Week 12 Brees passed Warren Moon for fifth on the career passing yards list with 49 566 237 During Week 14 Brees became the fastest player ever to join the 50 000 yard club and only the fifth player to do so 238 He did it in 183 games passing the 50 000 milestone on a pass to Jimmy Graham in the fourth quarter of a 31 13 Saints win over the Carolina Panthers on December 8 in which he threw four touchdowns 239 In Week 17 a 42 17 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers he had 381 passing yards and four touchdowns to earn his third NFC Offensive Player of the Week nod for the 2013 season 240 241 Brees also extended his NFL record to a sixth straight season of at least 30 touchdown passes with 4 000 passing yards his third straight 5 000 yard season and his eighth straight 4 000 yard season 242 For his successful performance in 2013 he was named to his eighth career Pro Bowl 243 The Saints finished with an 11 5 record and narrowly defeated the Philadelphia Eagles in the Wild Card Round but lost to the Seattle Seahawks in the Divisional Round who went on to win Super Bowl XLVIII 244 He finished ranked sixth by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2014 245 2014 season See also 2014 New Orleans Saints season Brees admits that the 2014 season was his most frustrating 246 The Saints finished with a 7 9 record and missed the playoffs 247 Brees 2014 season began with a pair of games lost on game ending field goals by the other team in Week 1 the Saints lost 37 34 on the road to the Atlanta Falcons in overtime and in Week 2 in a 26 24 road loss to the Cleveland Browns he moved into fourth place on the career passing yardage list ahead of John Elway 248 249 250 On October 19 in a road game against the Detroit Lions Brees became the NFL s all time leader in completion percentage at 66 21 surpassing Chad Pennington 251 On November 30 in a Week 13 35 32 road victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers he had 257 passing yards and five touchdowns to earn NFC Offensive Player of the Week which was the 20th time in his career he has earned the award over his career in both the AFC with the Chargers and the NFC with the Saints 252 253 In a Week 15 road game against the Chicago Bears he extended his streak to an NFL record seventh straight season with at least 30 touchdown passes and nine straight seasons of 4 000 passing yards However his streak of 5 000 passing yard seasons ended at three as he passed for 4 952 yards which was good enough to tie him with Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger for the most passing yards in the league that season The occurrence marked the first time in NFL history that two players tied for the passing yards lead 254 255 He was named to his seventh consecutive and ninth career Pro Bowl 256 He was ranked 30th by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2015 257 nbsp Brees in 2015 at Fedex Field2015 season See also 2015 New Orleans Saints season Brees and the Saints started the 2015 season with an 0 3 start with two of the losses being by one possession On October 4 2015 in Week 4 his 80 yard touchdown pass to C J Spiller on the second play of overtime gave the Saints a 26 20 victory over the Dallas Cowboys and the team s first win of the season 258 He earned NFC Offensive Player of the Week for his effort against the Cowboys 259 260 The touchdown gave Brees 400 for his career making him the fifth player in NFL history to reach the 400 touchdown milestone Also he became the fastest player ever to reach 400 touchdowns doing so in 205 games 261 Brees also completed his 5 000th pass with a touchdown to tight end Josh Hill 262 263 It was the quickest regular season overtime win in the history of the NFL at 13 seconds 264 On November 1 2015 Brees tied the NFL record of touchdown passes in a game with seven during a 52 49 Saints win over the New York Giants 265 In that game he completed 39 of 50 passes for 505 yards to record his second career game with at least 500 passing yards 266 He became the second player in NFL history to have multiple 500 yard passing games 267 He earned NFC Offensive Player of the Week for his historic performance against the New York Giants 268 In Week 12 his streak of 45 consecutive games with a touchdown pass ended in a 24 6 loss at Houston 269 Two weeks later he surpassed Dan Marino for fourth in career touchdown passes as the Saints beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers by a score of 24 17 270 In Week 15 he became the fourth quarterback to reach the 60 000 yard milestone in 215 games the fastest ever and had his 10th straight 4 000 yard season plus his 94th 300 yard game but the Detroit Lions won 35 27 This put him first in most 300 yard games as Brees and Manning had been tied at 93 games prior to that game 271 A week later his streak was extended to an eighth straight season with at least 30 touchdown passes plus his 95th 300 yarder all NFL records against the Jacksonville Jaguars 272 With a Week 17 win over the Atlanta Falcons Brees finished the season with four straight 300 yard games for a career record total of 96 and a season total 4 870 yards passing leading the league in passing yards for a record sixth time despite missing one game due to an injury 273 Despite the accomplishments on the field the Saints finished with a 7 9 record and missed the playoffs 274 He was ranked 30th by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2016 275 2016 season See also 2016 New Orleans Saints season External videos nbsp Video of Brees throwing an 87 yard touchdown pass to Brandin Cooks on YouTubeIn the Saints 2016 season opener Brees threw a career high 98 yard touchdown pass to Brandin Cooks in a narrow 35 34 home loss to the Oakland Raiders 276 He finished the game 28 of 42 for 423 yards and four touchdown passes 276 His 400 yard performance tied him with Peyton Manning for the most 400 yard passing games in NFL history 276 277 The next week he passed Dan Marino for third place in career passing yards in a loss to the New York Giants 278 On October 16 in Week 6 Brees threw for 465 yards and four touchdown passes with one interception in a 41 38 home win over the Carolina Panthers 279 With this performance Brees set an NFL record with the 15th 400 yard passing performance of his career 280 Brees reached another milestone in the game becoming the sixth player to record 50 000 passing yards with one team The other five players are Peyton Manning Indianapolis Colts Brett Favre Green Bay Packers Dan Marino Miami Dolphins Tom Brady New England Patriots and John Elway Denver Broncos 277 In Week 7 Brees became the first player in NFL history with 100 games of 300 passing yards in a loss against the Kansas City Chiefs on October 23 281 282 During Week 16 Brees and Aaron Rodgers tied the NFL record for most seasons with at least 35 touchdown passes with four a record shared with Peyton Manning and Tom Brady 283 284 Brees finished the 2016 season leading the league in passing yards with 5 208 the second most of his career and the fifth 5 000 yard season of his career more than all other 5 000 yard seasons combined 4 285 He threw for 471 completions breaking his NFL record of 468 set in 2011 and a career high 673 attempts 286 Brees finished third in touchdown passes with 37 the fourth most of his career He finished second in completion percentage 70 0 287 making it the third time he has completed at least 70 of his passes in a season b Despite his performance for the third straight season the Saints finished 7 9 and missed the playoffs 288 He was named to his tenth career Pro Bowl for his 2016 season 289 He was ranked 16th by his peers on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2017 290 2017 season See also 2017 New Orleans Saints season Brees and the Saints started the 2017 season with a 0 2 record before reeling off eight consecutive wins 291 In Week 13 he passed Peyton Manning for second place in career completions in a 31 21 victory over the Carolina Panthers 292 On December 19 2017 Brees was named to his 11th career Pro Bowl 293 During Week 16 against the Atlanta Falcons Brees became the third player to amass over 70 000 passing yards in a career doing so in an NFL fastest 248 games 294 In that game he also earned his 12th straight 4 000 yard season and finished the game with 239 passing yards a touchdown and an interception as the Saints won 23 13 295 Brees finished the 2017 season by setting a then NFL record 72 0 completion percentage 296 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 9 297 The Saints finished with an 11 5 record won the NFC South and returned to the playoffs for the first time since the 2013 season 298 In the Wild Card Round against the Carolina Panthers he had 376 passing yards two touchdowns and one interception in the 31 26 victory 299 In the Divisional Round against the Minnesota Vikings he had 294 passing yards three touchdowns and two interceptions in the 29 24 loss 300 301 He was ranked eighth by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2018 302 2018 season See also 2018 New Orleans Saints season On March 13 2018 Brees signed a two year 50 million contract extension with the Saints with 27 million guaranteed 303 In Week 1 Brees threw for more than 400 yards for a record 16th time in his career but the Tampa Bay Buccaneers won 48 40 304 In Week 3 against the Atlanta Falcons Brees broke Brett Favre s record for career pass completions in the second quarter with his 6 301st career completion 305 In that game a 43 37 overtime Saints victory Brees threw for 396 yards and three touchdowns and also ran for two more scores including the game winner in overtime earning him NFC Offensive Player of the Week 306 In Week 5 on Monday Night Football against the Washington Redskins Brees surpassed Peyton Manning for the NFL s all time passing yardage record with a 62 yard touchdown pass to Tre Quan Smith late in the second quarter 307 He went on to complete 26 of 29 passes setting a then career high 89 66 single game completion percentage for 363 yards and three touchdowns in the 43 19 victory earning him NFC Offensive Player of the Week for the second time in three weeks 308 Following a bye week Brees claimed his first career victory against the Baltimore Ravens with a score of 24 23 making him the third quarterback in NFL history to beat all 32 teams joining Peyton Manning and Brett Favre 309 During this game Brees also became the fourth quarterback in NFL history along with Manning Favre and Tom Brady to reach 500 career touchdown passes when he threw a 1 yard touchdown to Benjamin Watson 310 After a season low 120 yards and his first interception of the season in a win over the Minnesota Vikings 311 Brees logged 346 yards four touchdowns and zero interceptions to hand the Rams their first loss of the season in Week 9 312 In a Week 10 matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals Brees passed Brett Favre for second in career passing touchdowns with a 17 yard touchdown to Michael Thomas in a 51 14 victory 313 Brees was named the NFC Offensive Player of the Month for November passing for 16 touchdowns to two interceptions in that stretch 314 Brees finished the season with 364 completions 489 attempts 3 992 passing yards 32 passing touchdowns and five interceptions over 15 games 315 He sat out the season finale after the Saints had clinched the NFC s 1 seed the week prior 316 He set an NFL record for completion percentage 74 4 breaking his previous record 72 0 set in 2017 317 and led the league in passer rating a career high of 115 7 However with his 3 992 yards his NFL record streak of 12 consecutive seasons with at least 4 000 passing yards came to an end 318 He led the league with six fourth quarter comebacks and seven game winning drives 319 In the Divisional Round against the Philadelphia Eagles the Saints started badly quickly falling into a 14 0 hole but recovered and scored 20 unanswered points over the final three quarters to win and advance to their first NFC Championship Game since their 2009 Super Bowl winning season Brees completed 28 of 38 passes for 301 yards two touchdowns and one interception in the win 320 321 In the NFC Championship Brees passed for 249 yards two touchdowns and one interception as the Saints lost 26 23 in overtime to the Los Angeles Rams following a controversial missed pass interference call on a play that started at the Rams 13 yard line with 1 49 left in regulation If called the penalty could have allowed the Saints to run out most of the clock due to the Rams having only one timeout remaining and try a go ahead field goal that would have likely won the game for New Orleans 322 323 Brees became the first and only player in NFL history to throw touchdown passes to 15 different players of which nine were undrafted in a single season including the playoffs 324 He finished second in the MVP voting to Patrick Mahomes 325 He was ranked as the second best player in the NFL by his peers on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2019 326 2019 season See also 2019 New Orleans Saints season nbsp Brees at the 2020 Pro BowlIn the first game of the season a Monday Night Football match against the Houston Texans Brees threw for 370 yards two touchdowns and one interception as the Saints overcame a slow start to win 30 28 327 In the Saints Week 2 game against the Los Angeles Rams Brees suffered an injury to his right hand on a hit from Aaron Donald which forced him out of the game 328 The next day an MRI revealed that Brees had suffered a torn ligament in the thumb of his right hand which would require surgery and reportedly cause him to miss six to eight weeks 329 330 Brees returned in Week 8 against the Arizona Cardinals finishing with 373 passing yards three touchdowns and an interception as the Saints won 31 9 331 In Week 14 against the San Francisco 49ers Brees completed 29 of 40 passes for 349 yards five touchdowns and no interceptions and scored a one yard rushing touchdown but his efforts were in vain as the Saints narrowly lost 48 46 332 During Week 15 against the Indianapolis Colts on Monday Night Football Brees broke former Colts quarterback Peyton Manning s record for most career touchdowns throwing his 540th to tight end Josh Hill on his career best 20th straight completion in the third quarter 333 Brees s record breaking touchdown pass was his third touchdown pass on the night He finished the game with four touchdowns and 304 yards as the Saints defeated the Colts by a 34 7 score 334 In addition Brees completed 29 of his 30 pass attempts for a career high and NFL single game record 96 7 completion percentage rate surpassing the previous record 28 out of 29 passes for a 96 6 completion percentage rate which had been set the previous year by his former Chargers teammate Philip Rivers 335 In the following week s game against the Tennessee Titans Brees threw for 279 yards and three touchdowns during the 38 28 win During the game Brees helped wide receiver Michael Thomas break the single season receptions record formerly held by Marvin Harrison with his 144th catch of the season 336 Brees earned NFC Offensive Player of the Month for December 337 In the 2019 season Brees appeared in 11 games and finished with 2 979 passing yards 27 touchdowns and four interceptions 338 He finished with a completion percentage of 74 34 which finished second in NFL history to his record from the previous season 339 In the Wild Card Round against the Minnesota Vikings Brees threw for 208 yards one touchdown and one interception during the 26 20 overtime loss In the game Brees helped lead the Saints on a late drive to set up a game tying field goal on a seven play drive to force the overtime period 340 He earned his 13th career Pro Bowl nomination after Russell Wilson gave up his spot 341 He was ranked 12th by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2020 342 2020 season See also 2020 New Orleans Saints season On March 17 2020 Brees signed a two year 50 million contract extension with the Saints 343 In the Saints regular season opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and their new quarterback Tom Brady Brees completed 18 of 30 passes for 160 passing yards and two touchdowns breaking Brett Favre s record for most career pass attempts in the process as the Saints won by a score of 34 23 344 Following the Week 1 victory Brees helped lead the Saints to a 5 2 stretch leading into a second matchup with Brady in Week 9 Against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday Night Football he passed for 222 yards and four touchdowns in the 38 3 victory 345 With the win over the Buccaneers Brees defeated Brady head to head for the second time 346 On November 15 2020 Brees left the Saints Week 10 game against the San Francisco 49ers following the first half with a rib injury suffered on a sack attempt from Kentavius Street 347 Brees completed 8 of 13 passes for 76 yards and a touchdown before leaving the game 348 349 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 350 351 On November 20 2020 Brees was placed on injured reserve thereby ruling him out for at least the following three games 352 353 After missing four games Brees was activated on December 19 2020 354 for the Saints Week 15 game against the Kansas City Chiefs and threw for 234 yards three touchdowns and one interception 355 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 356 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 357 Overall he finished the 2020 season with 2 942 passing yards 24 touchdowns and six interceptions in twelve games with the Saints finishing with a 12 4 record 358 In the Wild Card Round against the Chicago Bears Brees threw for 265 yards and two touchdowns during the 21 9 win 359 In the Divisional Round against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Brees threw for 134 yards and a touchdown but also threw three interceptions in a 30 20 loss 360 On February 6 2021 the Saints renegotiated Brees contract which reduced his salary down to 1 075 million for the upcoming season to save salary cap space 361 On March 14 2021 exactly 15 years to the day that Brees signed his first contract with the New Orleans Saints Brees announced his retirement after twenty seasons 362 The Saints placed him on their reserve retired list on June 11 2021 363 NFL career statisticsLegendAP NFL Offensive Player of the YearSuper Bowl MVPWon the Super BowlNFL recordLed the leagueBold Career highRegular season Year Team Games Passing Rushing Sacked FumblesGP GS Record Cmp Att Pct Yds Y A Y G Lng TD Int Rtg Att Yds Y A Lng TD Sck SckY Fum Lost2001 SD 1 0 15 27 55 6 221 8 2 221 0 40 1 0 94 8 2 18 9 0 13 0 2 12 2 02002 SD 16 16 8 8 320 526 60 8 3 284 6 2 205 3 52 17 16 76 9 38 130 3 4 15 1 24 180 2 02003 SD 11 11 2 9 205 356 57 6 2 108 5 9 191 6 68 11 15 67 5 21 84 4 0 18 0 21 178 5 32004 SD 15 15 11 4 262 400 65 5 3 159 7 9 210 6 79 27 7 104 8 35 85 1 6 22 2 18 131 7 22005 SD 16 16 9 7 323 500 64 6 3 576 7 2 223 5 54 24 15 89 2 21 49 2 3 9 1 27 223 8 52006 NO 16 16 10 6 356 554 64 3 4 418 8 0 276 1 86 26 11 96 2 42 32 0 8 16 0 18 105 8 32007 NO 16 16 7 9 440 652 67 5 4 423 6 8 276 4 58 28 18 89 4 23 52 2 3 9 1 16 109 9 42008 NO 16 16 8 8 413 635 65 0 5 069 8 0 316 8 84 34 17 96 2 23 1 0 0 9 0 13 92 6 12009 NO 15 15 13 2 363 514 70 6 4 388 8 5 292 5 75 34 11 109 6 22 33 1 5 10 2 20 135 10 62010 NO 16 16 11 5 448 658 68 1 4 620 7 0 288 8 80 33 22 90 9 18 3 0 2 7 0 25 185 9 22011 NO 16 16 13 3 468 657 71 2 5 476 8 3 342 3 79 46 14 110 6 21 86 4 1 20 1 24 158 1 12012 NO 16 16 7 9 422 670 63 0 5 177 7 7 323 6 80 43 19 96 3 15 5 0 3 11 1 26 190 5 12013 NO 16 16 11 5 446 650 68 6 5 162 7 9 322 6 76 39 12 104 7 35 52 1 5 16 3 37 244 6 22014 NO 16 16 7 9 456 659 69 2 4 952 7 5 309 5 69 33 17 97 0 27 68 2 5 13 1 29 186 7 32015 NO 15 15 7 8 428 627 68 3 4 870 7 8 324 7 80 32 11 101 0 24 14 0 6 12 1 31 235 5 22016 NO 16 16 7 9 471 673 70 0 5 208 7 7 325 5 98 37 15 101 7 23 20 0 9 7 2 27 184 5 42017 NO 16 16 11 5 386 536 72 0 4 334 8 1 270 9 54 23 8 103 9 33 12 0 4 7 2 20 145 5 02018 NO 15 15 13 2 364 489 74 4 3 992 8 2 266 1 72 32 5 115 7 31 22 0 7 11 4 17 121 5 12019 NO 11 11 8 3 281 378 74 3 2 979 7 9 270 8 61 27 4 116 3 9 4 0 4 2 1 12 89 0 02020 NO 12 12 9 3 275 390 70 5 2 942 7 5 245 2 52 24 6 106 4 18 2 0 1 3 2 13 89 6 2Career 287 286 172 114 7 142 10 551 67 7 80 358 7 6 280 0 98 571 243 98 7 498 752 1 5 22 25 420 2 991 111 42Postseason Year Team Games Passing Rushing Sacked FumblesGP GS Record Cmp Att Pct Yds Y A Y G Lng TD Int Rtg Att Yds Y A Lng TD Sck SckY Fum Lost2004 SD 1 1 0 1 31 42 73 8 319 7 6 319 0 44 2 1 101 2 5 17 3 4 7 0 2 11 1 02006 NO 2 2 1 1 47 81 58 0 597 7 4 298 5 88 3 1 88 3 4 6 1 5 8 0 6 51 3 22009 NO 3 3 3 0 72 102 70 6 732 7 2 244 0 44 8 0 117 0 5 4 0 8 0 0 2 15 2 02010 NO 1 1 0 1 39 60 65 0 404 6 7 404 0 40 2 0 95 4 2 6 3 0 6 0 1 7 1 02011 NO 2 2 1 1 73 106 68 9 928 8 8 464 0 66 7 2 110 1 5 4 0 8 5 0 5 34 1 12013 NO 2 2 1 1 44 73 60 3 559 7 7 279 5 52 2 2 81 9 5 13 2 6 5 0 3 9 1 02017 NO 2 2 1 1 48 73 65 8 670 9 2 335 0 80 5 3 100 8 3 0 0 0 2 0 3 23 1 02018 NO 2 2 1 1 54 78 69 2 550 7 2 275 0 43 4 2 95 6 5 2 0 4 1 0 4 25 2 02019 NO 1 1 0 1 26 33 78 8 208 6 3 208 0 20 1 1 90 4 1 5 5 0 5 0 3 31 1 12020 NO 2 2 1 1 47 73 64 4 399 5 5 199 5 38 3 3 75 1 5 5 1 0 2 0 0 0 1 0Career 18 18 9 9 481 721 66 7 5 366 7 4 298 1 88 37 15 97 1 40 50 1 3 8 0 29 206 14 4Career awards and recordsBrees has earned several awards in both college and the NFL including Super Bowl champion XLIV Super Bowl MVP XLIV NFC champion 2009 13 Pro Bowl 2004 2006 2008 2014 2016 2019 364 25 AFC NFC Offensive Player of the Week 365 5 NFC Offensive Player of the Month 366 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 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year 2006 NFL Comeback Player of the Year 2004 Maxwell Award 2000 2 Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year 1998 2000 Most seasons as passing yards leader 7 367 National Football League records Most passing touchdowns single game 7 tied with 7 others 368 Best pass completion percentage single season 74 4 in 2018 369 2nd most passing yards season 5 476 2011 370 New Orleans Saints franchise records Brees holds numerous passing records for the Saints franchise Passing yards career 68 010 371 Passing yards single game 510 117 Passing touchdowns career 491 371 Pass completions career 6 017 371 Pass completions single game 39 Brees accomplished the 39 completions in four total games 142 Pass attempts career 8 742 371 Pass attempts single game 60 137 Passing yards single season 5 476 2011 372 Passing touchdowns single season 46 2011 372 Pass completions single season 471 2016 372 Pass attempts single season 673 2016 372 Longest pass play 98 yards 2016 372 Completion percentage single season 74 4 372 Completion percentage career 67 7 372 Broadcasting careerFollowing his retirement from the NFL Brees was hired by NBC Sports to serve as the color analyst for the network s Notre Dame games and on Football Night in America working in the booth alongside play by play announcer Mike Tirico 373 He left after the season on May 15 2022 9 Personal lifeBrees married his college sweetheart Brittany Dudchenko in February 2003 374 The couple have four children together three sons born January 2009 375 October 2010 376 and August 2012 377 and a daughter in August 2014 378 nbsp Brees announcing the Saints draft pick at the 2010 NFL DraftBrees moved to New Orleans not long after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina 379 He admits that it was tough moving to a city that was still in shambles from the hurricane however he and Brittany immediately fell in love with the culture and soul of the city 380 They purchased and renovated a home in Uptown New Orleans where they still live 381 Brees admits in an interview that he thinks his family is now completed especially because three boys and one girl were always the couple s dream 382 All four children were born in New Orleans and are being raised there 382 The four priorities in Brees s life are faith family football and philanthropy otherwise known as the four F s by Brees 16 Brees kept a home in San Diego until he sold the property in 2012 383 384 Brees is a Baptist Brees was raised as a Christian but stated that he became committed at age 17 when he was at church with a torn ACL and was wondering who he was and what his purpose was in life 19 17 Brees later faced other trials such as tearing the labrum in his shoulder in 2005 however he maintains that these setbacks only strengthened his relationship with God 16 385 A birthmark on the right side of his face led to bullying when he was younger 386 Throughout his youth Brees attended Camp Champions a co ed summer camp in Marble Falls Texas for eight summers Brees was twice voted Most Outstanding Camper by his peers during his tenure at the camp 387 On July 6 2010 Brees released his first book 22 entitled Coming Back Stronger Unleashing the Hidden Power of Adversity co authored by Chris Fabry 388 Coming Back Stronger opened at number 3 on the nonfiction bestseller list of The New York Times 389 390 In 2010 Brees appeared in the Season 7 finale of Entourage 391 Brees s mother Mina Brees died on August 7 2009 at age 59 from a prescription drug overdose 16 The death was ruled a suicide 392 Brees was briefly excused from training camp for a family matter 393 In 2006 Brees described their relationship as nonexistent ever since he refused to hire his mother as his agent when he entered the NFL saying that she undercut his dealings with other agents and tried to sell a book about him to Sports Illustrated without his knowledge and later that year he told her to stop using his picture in TV commercials during her campaign for the Texas 3rd Court of Appeals 394 395 396 After her death Brees stated that this quote was three years old and that his relationship with his mother had been improving 397 In his autobiography released almost a year later he wrote that their relationship had been on the mend 398 and that she had been looking forward to meeting his son her first grandchild In April 2010 Brees was voted by fans as the cover athlete of EA Sports Madden NFL 11 video game 399 Brees wears 9 on his uniform in honor of late baseball player Ted Williams 400 Brees is sometimes known by the nicknames Breesus by Saints fans 401 402 403 and Cool Brees which he acquired during his younger years for his calmness under pressure 28 404 On March 30 2010 Brees became the national spokesperson for AdvoCare International 405 a multi level marketing company 406 which produces weight management nutritional supplement and personal care products nbsp Brees visiting U S soldiers in Kuwait April 2007Brees owns a variety of restaurant businesses In May 2015 he purchased a 25 stake in Walk On s Bistreaux amp Bar a sports bar that originated in Baton Rouge and is currently expanding their franchising into other Gulf Coast states In 2019 he opened a Walk On s restaurant in Midland Texas 407 During initial talks with Walk On s Brees said that he was interested in bringing over some of the lessons that he had learned as a Jimmy John s franchise owner He currently owns nine Jimmy John s stores with a tenth under construction as of August 2019 update 408 409 Carl Buergler Jimmy John s director of operations played football at Purdue with Brees 410 When Brees broke the NFL record for all time passing yards he sent a personalized football and letter to those players that helped him reach the milestone 411 Brees utilizes former Major League Baseball player and coach Tom House as his mechanics coach 412 413 In 2019 Brees partnered with San Diego Surf Sports to help with the local youth sports scene in the San Diego area 414 Brees follows a strict diet avoiding gluten dairy and nuts due to food allergies He also has a regimented daily exercise routine focusing on core strength exercises rather than heavy weight training 415 Brees was a Republican but later changed his party affiliation to Independent 416 On June 3 2020 during the George Floyd protests Brees told Yahoo Finance that he stood by his 2016 opinion that kneeling during the national anthem was disrespectful to the flag and to the US 417 418 Several of his teammates and other professional athletes expressed disappointment and anger at the statement 418 He apologized early the next day 417 419 In 2023 Brees revealed in his own words that his right arm did not work anymore leaving him unable to throw a football He said that his condition is a result of the dislocated shoulder injury he suffered during his time with the Chargers 420 Charity and volunteer activitiesIn 2010 Sports Illustrated described Brees as an athlete as adored and appreciated as any in an American city today 421 When Sports Illustrated selected him for the 2010 Sportsman of the Year award it said the award was f or not only leading the New Orleans Saints to the first Super Bowl title in the franchise s history but also for helping lead the city of New Orleans rebirth after the tragedy of Hurricane Katrina The fact that he and his family lived in New Orleans proper instead of the suburbs like many players did further endeared him to fans 186 381 Brees Dream Foundation In 2003 Brees and his wife Brittany founded the Brees Dream Foundation to support cancer patients and research in memory of Brittany s aunt who died of cancer Since Brees move to New Orleans the foundation has expanded to provide assistance for Hurricane Katrina rebuilding projects The foundation continues to fund and support various programs in San Diego California where Brees usually spends his offseasons and West Lafayette Indiana where the couple s alma mater Purdue is located and where Brees returns to visit yearly 422 Brees and his foundation have been heavily involved in Hurricane Katrina recovery 423 Drew and Brittany s Brees Dream Foundation announced a partnership 424 425 in 2007 with international children s charity Operation Kids to rebuild and restore and recreate academic and athletic facilities parks and playgrounds after school programs mentoring programs for the intellectually disabled neighborhood revitalization projects and child care facilities in New Orleans Brees also sponsors the Rebuilding Through Brotherhood program to invite fellow Sigma Chi members to the New Orleans community to build homes with the Habitat for Humanity 426 In July 2020 Brees and his wife Brittany partnered with Ochsner Health System and donated 5 million through the Brees Dream Foundation to help build numerous healthcare centers throughout Louisiana 427 428 To date the Brees Dream Foundation has donated over 35 million to charitable causes worldwide 429 The Foundation was part of a joint initiative with BuildStrong and the Home Builders Institute to create the BuildStrong Academy The academy offers students an opportunity to enhance their skills in the construction industry 430 Other activities nbsp Brees signs autographs at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base on June 29 2009 along with fellow NFL players Billy Miller and Donnie Edwards Brees has been on multiple USO tours throughout his career In late June 2009 he visited the Guantanamo Bay detention camp Following his return Brees was quoted as stating that Guantanamo captives were being treated ten times better than convicts in U S prisons 431 432 433 434 In February 2008 Brees signed a promotional deal with Chili s Grill amp Bar to promote the chain s new line of hamburgers 435 The promotion helped raise money for charity In June 2008 Brees participated in the Pro Sports Team Challenge a competition for professional athletes to help raise money for charities The charity Brees played for was Operation Kids 436 On February 18 2007 Brees was honored by the Krewe of Bacchus a New Orleans Mardi Gras parade organization as the 2007 Grand Marshal of the Bacchus parade 437 Brees presided as Bacchus XLII for the 2010 parade on February 14 2010 one week after the Super Bowl during Mardi Gras season 438 In June 2010 President Obama appointed Brees to be co chair of the newly renamed President s Council on Sports Fitness and Nutrition along with former Olympic gymnast Dominique Dawes 439 440 In October 2010 Brees appeared in an It Gets Better video in which he gave an anti bullying message in the wake of a series of suicides committed by gay teenagers 441 In April 2018 Brees filed a lawsuit against a San Diego jeweler The lawsuit claims Brees and his wife paid 15 million for investment grade diamonds that an independent appraiser valued at only 6 million 442 443 On June 21 2019 Brees was awarded 6 million in the lawsuit 444 In March 2019 Brees partnered with Brandon Landry co founder of Walk On s launching a new restaurant 445 See alsoList of NCAA major college football yearly total offense leaders List of gridiron football quarterbacks passing statistics List of most consecutive games with touchdown passes in the National Football League List of most consecutive starts by a National Football League quarterback List of National Football League career passer rating leaders List of National Football League career passing completions leaders List of National Football League career passing touchdowns leaders List of National Football League career passing yards leaders List of National Football League career quarterback wins leaders List of National Football League quarterback playoff records List of NFL quarterbacks who have passed for 500 or more yards in a game List of NFL quarterbacks who have posted a perfect passer rating List of NFL quarterbacks with 5 000 passing yards in a seasonNotes Co winner this season alongside Joe Germaine Brees completed 69 985 of his passes during the 2016 season which was rounded up to 70 References News at 10 P M WWL TV November 3 2009 Drew also told Juan Kincaid that the correct pronunciation of his last name is breece not breeze He says the mispronunciation caught on in middle school and rather than fight it he just went with it Shapiro Michael March 14 2021 Brees Retires After 20 Seasons With Chargers Saints Sports Illustrated Archived from the original on April 13 2022 Retrieved March 14 2021 NFL Pass Completion Career Leaders Pro Football Reference Archived from the original on August 8 2019 Retrieved January 28 2022 Trapasso Chris October 8 2012 Where Does Drew 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