October 17 will mark a momentous occasion as the New Orleans Saints induct legendary quarterback Drew Brees into their Hall of Fame. Sean Payton, Brees’ longtime head coach in New Orleans, will be in town (and on the opposing sideline) to celebrate his former pupil as the Saints face the Denver Broncos in Week 7.
As New Orleans honors Brees, let’s revisit his memorable and successful career with the Saints.
When Did Drew Brees Retire?
Brees spent 20 years in the NFL with the Saints and the San Diego Chargers, setting myriad league passing records along the way. Over 15 seasons in New Orleans, Brees went 142-86 while guiding the Saints to eight playoff appearances.
However, injuries began taking a toll as Brees reached the end of his career. In 2019, Brees’ age-40 season, he missed six games after tearing a ligament in the thumb on his right hand. In 2020, he spent four games on injured reserve after suffering multiple broken ribs and a collapsed lung.
Which one are you choosing?
Eight minutes and 21 seconds of Drew Brees Postseason TD passes 🤌
📺 https://t.co/KlYFEtTVGF | #BreesWeek pic.twitter.com/jpQVf5X1w2
— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) October 16, 2024
Brees retired after that 2020 campaign, hanging up his cleats even though he had another year remaining on the two-year, $50 million extension he’d signed heading into that season.
“After 20 years as a player in the NFL and 15 years as a Saint, it is time I retire from the game of football,” Brees wrote in March 2021.
“Each day, I poured my heart & soul into being your quarterback. Til the very end, I exhausted myself to give everything I had to the Saints organization, my team, and the great city of New Orleans. We shared some amazing moments together, many of which are emblazoned in our hearts and minds and will forever be a part of us. You have molded me, strengthened me, inspired me, and given me a lifetime of memories.
“My goal for the last 15 years was striving to give to you everything you had given to me and more. I am only retiring from playing football, I am not retiring from New Orleans. This is not goodbye, rather a new beginning. Now my real life’s work begins!”
Is Drew Brees in the Hall of Fame?
Brees isn’t in the Pro Football Hall of Fame — but that’s only because he’s not yet eligible.
Like all NFL players, Brees must wait five years post-retirement before being inducted into Canton. He’ll be eligible to be enshrined along with the 2026 Hall of Fame class, and of course, he’ll be a shoo-in for a gold jacket once his time comes.
One way to assess potential HOF candidacy is to use Pro Football Reference’s Hall of Fame Monitor. Similar to Jay Jaffe’s JAWS system for the Baseball Hall of Fame, the PFR monitor uses statistics, metrics, and rankings to compare players to others at their positions and determine whether they’re worthy of Canton.
Brees is the No. 7 quarterback in PFR’s HOF rankings, trailing only Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Aaron Rodgers, Brett Favre, Johnny Unitas, and Joe Montana.
Brees will be a first-ballot Hall of Famer alongside a 2026 class that could be chock full of other first-time eligibles, such as WR Larry Fitzgerald, TE Jason Witten, and CB Richard Sherman.
Why Did Drew Brees Leave the Chargers for the Saints?
The Chargers began organizing their post-Brees plan in 2004 when they used their first-round selection on fellow quarterback Philip Rivers. However, Brees was outstanding during that 2024 campaign, guiding San Diego to an 11-4 record while winning NFL Comeback Player of the Year honors.
The Bolts retained Brees via the franchise tag in 2005. Unfortunately, he tore his labrum in the final game of the season, reducing his market value ahead of free agency.
The Chargers offered Brees a heavily incentivized five-year, $50 million contract. Instead, he took meetings with other clubs around the league.
The Miami Dolphins were intrigued by Brees, but the club’s medical staff advised against signing him due to his labrum injury. The Dolphins thus traded for Minnesota Vikings QB Daunte Culpepper, while then-head coach Nick Saban later said Miami’s decision on Brees eventually led to him resigning.
The Saints remained in on Brees and inked him to a six-year, $60 million contract that included an $8 million signing bonus.
Brees Brings New Orleans a Super Bowl
Hurricane Katrina forced the Saints out of New Orleans during the 2005 season, so Brees’ debut 2006 campaign would be memorable no matter how it turned out. But with Brees and Payton in town, the Saints rebounded from 3-13 to 10-6, winning the NFC South title while advancing to the NFC Championship Game.
After defensive issues kept New Orleans out of the playoffs over the next two seasons, the Saints put it all together in 2009. Brees, who’d won Offensive Player of the Year in 2008, finished second in MVP voting that year while helping New Orleans to a 13-2 record in 15 starts.
Brees and the Saints took down the Arizona Cardinals, Minnesota Vikings, and Indianapolis Colts en route to winning their first Super Bowl championship in franchise history. Brees completed 17 of 31 attempts for 197 yards and three touchdowns against the Colts while earning Super Bowl MVP.
New Orleans won 24 combined regular-season games from 2010 to 2011 but couldn’t advance past the Divisional Round. From 2012 to 2016, the Saints made the playoffs just once. While Brees and Co. ranked as top-10 offense every year during that span, New Orleans’ defense consistently held the team back.
After that lull, Brees and the Saints were on fire over the final four seasons of his career. From 2017 to 2020, New Orleans went a combined 49-15 during the regular season. After the 2018 campaign, they advanced to the NFC title game and should have won, but a missed pass interference call led the Los Angeles Rams to go to the Super Bowl instead.
Brees’ Career Stats Litter NFL Record Book
Brees’ NFL résumé is filled with accolades. In addition to his Super Bowl and Super Bowl MVP, Brees was a two-time NFL Offensive Player of the Year.
He went to 13 Pro Bowls; only two quarterbacks (Brady and Manning) went to more.
Brees was named a first-team All-Pro for his outstanding 2006 campaign, during which he also earned Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year honors for his recovery efforts in New Orleans.
Over two decades in the NFL, Brees led the league in passing yards seven times, completion percentage six times, and passing touchdowns four times. He’s second to Brady among all quarterbacks in career yards (80,358), completions (7,142), and touchdowns (571).
Brees set the NFL’s completion rate record in 2018 when he connected on an astonishing 74.4% of his passes. He also owns league records for most 5,000-yard passing campaigns (five) and most consecutive games with a touchdown pass (54).
When and Where Was Drew Brees Drafted?
While Brees was considered a potential first-round pick in the 2001 NFL Draft following a productive career at Purdue, he ultimately slipped to the second round due to concerns about his height (6’0″) and arm strength.
The Chargers ultimately selected Brees with the first pick of Round 2 (No. 31 overall).
He was the second quarterback drafted in 2001 after Michael Vick, who went No. 1 overall to the Atlanta Falcons. San Diego initially owned the top pick in the 2001 draft but traded it to Atlanta. The Chargers moved down to No. 5, where they landed future Hall of Fame running back LaDainian Tomlinson.