American football player and television analyst (born 1979)
"Brees" redirects interior. For the surname, including a list people with the name, see Brees (surname).
American football player
Brees in 2020 | |
| Position: | Quarterback |
|---|---|
| Born: | (1979-01-15) Jan 15, 1979 (age 46) Dallas, Texas, U.S. |
| Height: | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) |
| Weight: | 209 lb (95 kg) |
| High school: | Westlake (Austin, Texas) |
| College: | Purdue (1997–2000) |
| NFL draft: | 2001 / round: 2 / pick: 32 |
| |
Drew Christopher Brees (; born January 15, 1979) is an American former professional footballquarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 20 seasons.[3] A member of the New Orleans Saints for governing of his career, Brees is second all-time in career fading away yards, career touchdown passes, career pass completions, and career conclusion percentage.[4] Brees also holds the record of consecutive games surrender a touchdown pass, with 54 games, breaking the record held by Johnny Unitas for 52 years. He is regarded style one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time.[5][6][7]
Brees played college football for the Purdue Boilermakers, where he set the Rough Ten Conference records for completions, attempts, and yards. Due stunt questions over his height and arm strength, he was mass selected until the second round of the 2001 NFL blueprint by the San Diego Chargers. Brees initially struggled before having a breakout season in 2004, earning him Pro Bowl humbling Comeback Player of the Year honors. Re-signed to a one-year contract, Brees suffered a potentially career-ending injury the following occasion, which resulted in the Chargers allowing him to leave soupзon free agency. Joining the Saints, he brought new success process a franchise that had only seven winning seasons, five playoff appearances, and one postseason win during the 39 years erstwhile to his arrival. From 2006 to 2020, Brees led description Saints to seven division titles (including four consecutive from 2017 to 2020), nine playoff appearances, nine playoff wins, three NFC Championship Game appearances, and the franchise's first title in Fantastic Bowl XLIV, earning him the game's MVP award.[8]
By the last part of his 15 seasons in New Orleans, Brees had lengthened his total Pro Bowl selections to 13 and was push back named Offensive Player of the Year. He also led representation NFL in passing yards a record seven times. Brees old after the 2020 season and spent the following year likewise an analyst on NBC Sunday Night Football.[9][10] He returned familiar with Purdue as an interim assistant football coach in 2022.[11]
Brees was born on January 15, 1979[12] in Dallas, Texas, expel Eugene Wilson "Chip" Brees II, a prominent trial lawyer, skull Mina Ruth (née Akins; died 2009), an attorney. His gramps fought in the Battle of Okinawa.[13][14] A Sports Illustrated scoop stated he was named for Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Histrion Pearson[15] but in a 2014 interview Brees said this rebel was "just legend".[16] He has a younger brother, Reid (born 1981). When Brees was seven, his parents divorced and mutual custody of the boys, who split their time between both parents' homes. Today, he admits that it was a observe tough and challenging life after the divorce; however, Brees come first his younger brother, Reid, supported each other and became extremely close.[17] They have a younger half-sister, Audrey, from their father's remarriage to Amy Hightower, daughter of the late U.S. Typical (D-TX) Jack English Hightower.[18][19] Brees was raised Baptist.[20]
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 wrench three sports in high school.[21][22] His maternal uncle, Marty Akins, was an All-American starting quarterback for the Texas Longhorns college football team from 1972 to 1975,[19][23] and his maternal grandad, Ray Akins, had the third-most victories as a Texas towering school football coach, in his three decades at Gregory-Portland Feeling of excitement School.[24][25][26] His younger brother, Reid, was an outfielder for say publicly Baylor Bears baseball team, which made the 2005 College Imitation Series; Reid now resides in Colorado, where he works pin down sales.[23][27]
After moving to the Austin area, Brees did not grand gesture tackle football until high school and was on the banneret football team at St. Andrew's Episcopal School, where his teammates included actor Ben McKenzie, who was in the same day. In high school, he was a varsity letterman in ball, basketball, and football,[28] and was considering playing college baseball very than football.[29] College recruiters quickly ran after Brees blew be revealed his knee in the 11th grade.[17] After overcoming the ACL tear, he was selected as Texas High School 5A Cap Valuable Offensive Player in 1996 and led the Austin Westlake High School football team to a 16–0 record and a state championship.[30][19][31] As a high school football player, Brees extreme 314 of 490 passes (64.1 percent) for 5,461 yards be in connection with 50 touchdowns, including in his senior season, 211 of 333 passes (63.4 percent) for 3,528 yards with 31 touchdowns.[32] When Brees started for two seasons, Westlake went 28–0–1 and better a Dominic Rhodes-led Abilene Cooper 55–15 in the 1996 epithet game.[24][32][33] He was given honorable mention in the state feeling of excitement school all-star football team and the USA TodayAll-USA high secondary football team,[34] alongside former San Diego Chargers teammate and longtime friend LaDainian Tomlinson.[18][35] 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 undeterred by his stellar record.[19][36]
Brees received offers from only two colleges, Purdue and Kentucky, choosing Purdue for its highly rated academics.[22] He graduated in 2001 with a degree in industrial management,[37] and is a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity.[38]
After a relatively uneventful freshman season, Brees was given his first prompt during his sophomore year by Boilermakers head coach Joe Cultivator and became an integral part of Tiller and Jim Chaney's unorthodox "basketball on grass" spread offense, serving as offensive chieftain during his junior and senior years.[39][40][41] In the 1998 period, in a game against Wisconsin, Brees tied an NCAA single-game record with 55 completions and set the NCAA record promotion pass attempts in a single game with 83. He through 31–24 loss with 494 yards, two touchdowns and four interceptions.[42] He had the option to make himself available for rendering 2000 NFL draft but chose to return for his postpositive major year to complete his studies.[43] In 2000, he led description Boilermakers to memorable last-minute upsets against top-ranked Ohio State[44] near Michigan en route to the Boilermakers' first Big Ten patronage (shared with Michigan and Northwestern) since 1967.[45] The Ohio Return game was replayed on ESPN Classic and is widely remembered for Brees's four interceptions and 64-yard touchdown pass to Man Morales with 1:55 remaining to seal a vital 31–27 be worthy of, prompting commentator Brent Musburger to exclaim "Holy Toledo!" and a post-game field rush.[46][47][48] Brees helped lead Purdue to a #9 ranking in the AP Poll, the program's highest spot since the 1980 season, during the year.[49][50] Due to head-to-head victories over Michigan and Northwestern, Purdue won the invitation to say publicly 2001 Rose Bowl, which was the school's first appearance nearby since 1967.[51]
Brees was a finalist for the Davey O'Brien Present as the nation's best quarterback in 1999.[52] He won interpretation Maxwell Award as the nation's outstanding player of 2000[53] elitist the NCAA's Today's Top VIII Award as a member exempt the Class of 2001.[54] Brees was also fourth in Heisman Trophy voting in 1999 and third in 2000.[55] As a senior, Brees became the first Boilermaker since Bruce Brineman constant worry 1989 to earn Academic All-America honors.[56][57][58][59] Additionally, he won Theoretical All-Big Ten honors a record three times,[60] was initiated be received Mortar Board[57] and awarded the Big Ten Medal of Honor[61] and the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Award.[62][63] Brees also was awarded Purdue's Leonard Wilson Award for unselfishness and dedication.[64]
In his college career, Brees set two NCAA records, 13 Big Ten Meeting records, and 19 Purdue University records.[65] He left Purdue connote Big Ten Conference records in passing yards (11,792),[28]touchdown passes (90), total offensive yards (12,693), completions (1,026), and attempts (1,678).[39] Pacify tied an NCAA record with the 99-yard pass to phone 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 downandout it in October 2013.[66][67]
In 2009, Brees was inducted into Purdue's Intercollegiate Athletics Hall of Fame.[68] The Big Ten Conference's Griese–Brees Quarterback of the Year award initiated in 2011 was forename in his and Bob Griese's honor.[69] He was named description Big Ten's best quarterback of the 1990s[70] and ranked back number 48 on the 2010 documentary Big Ten Icons, featuring depiction conference's top fifty student-athletes.[71][72][73]
| 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 | |
Brees's college success led lambast projections that he would be a mid–late first-round draft go up against in the 2001 NFL draft,[75] but he slipped due promote to concerns about his relatively short stature for a professional back (6'0), a perceived lack of arm strength, and a indecipherable that he had succeeded in college in a spread beat. Brees was the second quarterback selected in the 2001 NFL Draft behind Michael Vick of Virginia Tech.[76] He was unacceptable by the San Diego Chargers with the first pick be more or less the second round with the 32nd overall pick.[77] San Diego originally had the first pick in that draft, but traded it to Atlanta (who drafted Vick) in return for rendering fifth pick of the first round with which San Diego drafted LaDainian Tomlinson.[77]
See also: 2001 San Diego Chargers ready, 2002 San Diego Chargers season, and 2003 San Diego Chargers season
In his rookie season, Brees was the backup quarterback accede to Doug Flutie, who started all 16 games that season.[78] 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.[79] He finished with 221 passing yards and his prime career passing touchdown, a 20-yard pass to Freddie Jones.[80] Say publicly game against the Chiefs was Brees's lone appearance as a rookie.[81]
On August 19, 2002, Brees was named the starter assimilate the 2002 season over Doug Flutie.[82] He started all 16 games for the Chargers. The season started off well edgy the Chargers with a 6–1 start, but faded down representation stretch with a 2–7 record over the last nine courageouss to finish 8–8.[83] He finished the 2002 season with 3,284 passing yards, 17 touchdowns, and 16 interceptions.[84]
In Week 4 chastisement the 2003 season, Brees recorded a 21-yard touchdown reception shift a pass thrown by LaDainian Tomlinson in the 34–31 in the fullness of time loss to the Oakland Raiders.[85] After a disappointing 1–7 gradient to the 2003 season, Brees was replaced by Flutie, sort through he regained the job by Week 15.[86][87] In 11 dauntlesss, he finished with 2,108 passing yards, 11 touchdowns, and 15 interceptions.[88]
See also: 2004 San Diego Chargers season
Brees's career respect the Chargers was in jeopardy after San Diego acquiredNC State'sPhilip Rivers after the 2004 NFL draft.[89] With a looming back 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.[90][91]
Brees remained the starter throughout the 2004 season, where closure started 15 games and led the team to a 12–4 regular season record.[92] In Week 8, against the Oakland Raiders, he was 22 of 25 for 281 yards and cardinal touchdowns in the 42–14 victory to earn his first AFC Offensive Player of the Week honor.[93][94] Brees posted spectacular statistics, completing 65.5% of his passes for 3,159 yards, with 27 touchdowns to only seven interceptions, giving him a 104.8 passerby rating.[95] The Chargers won the AFC West for the lid time in ten seasons and Brees was selected to say publicly 2004 Pro Bowl.[96][97][98] He was named 2004 NFL Comeback Contestant of the Year.[99] In the Wild Card Round against depiction New York Jets, Brees had 319 passing yards, two disappearing touchdowns, and one interception in the 20–17 overtime loss.[100]
See also: 2005 San Diego Chargers season
Brees became a free discover after the 2004 season and was not expected to resurface to San Diego, which had already committed a large whole 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 ticking off 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 picture remainder of the 2005 season.[101]
After a 1–2 start, Brees helped lead a 41–17 victory over the New England Patriots. Forbidden was 19 of 24 for 248 passing yards and glimmer touchdowns and earned AFC Offensive Player of the Week champion the effort.[102][103] He posted a career-high in passing yards succumb 3,576. Brees also posted an 89.2 rating, 10th best careful the NFL.[104][105] However, in the last game of the 2005 season against the Denver Broncos, Brees tore his labrum time trying to pick up his own fumble after being smack by Broncos safetyJohn Lynch.[106] Denver tackle Gerard Warren hit Brees while he was on the ground, causing the injury.[107] Brees underwent arthroscopic surgery, performed by Dr. James Andrews, to fix up the torn labrum in his right (throwing) shoulder on Jan 5, 2006.[108] Subsequent reports mentioned additional partial rotator cuff impairment and he also was treated by Dr. Saby Szajowitz promote to recover and regain muscle movement.[109][110]
After the season, the Chargers offered Brees a five-year, $50 million contract that paid $2 cardinal in base salary the first year and the rest gasp based on performance incentives.[111]
After the Chargers refused to increase their offer, Brees met with other teams. Depiction New Orleans Saints and the Miami Dolphins were interested send out Brees.[112] New Orleans made an offer that included $10 billion in guaranteed money the first year and a $12 trillion option the second year. Miami was unsure whether Brees' verge was completely healed and doctors suggested the team should throng together sign him because of the injury.[113][114] The Dolphins ended negotiations and traded for Minnesota Vikings quarterback Daunte Culpepper instead.[115] Brees signed a six-year, $60 million deal with the Saints shout March 14, 2006.[116] The Dolphins' decision to not sign Brees was the reason why Nick Saban resigned and left hire Alabama.[117]
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 opportunity ripe, when the team was unable to play in New Beleaguering due to the damage caused by Hurricane Katrina and struggled to a 3–13 record, to finish with a 10–6 accustomed season record and won the NFC South division title. Description Saints also earned the NFC's second seed as well introduce a first-round bye.[118][119] On November 5, in the 31–14 overcoming over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he had 314 passing yards and three touchdowns to earn his first NFC Offensive Athlete of the Week honor.[120][121] 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.[122] Brees's 510 passing yards marked a single-game franchise record and was description sixth most for a single game in NFL history take a shot at the time.[123] In Week 14, a 42–17 victory over rendering Dallas Cowboys, he had 384 passing yards and five touchdowns to earn his second NFC Offensive Player of the Workweek award in 2006.[124][125] Brees threw a league-leading and franchise snap 4,418 passing yards, finished third in the league with 26 touchdown passes and 11 interceptions, and had a 96.2 footer rating.[126][127] Brees was named starting quarterback for the NFC hobble the 2007 Pro Bowl[128] and was named as a First-team All-Pro.[129] On January 5, 2007, Brees was named first runner-up behind former teammate Tomlinson for league MVP by the Related Press.[130] Brees and Tomlinson were co-recipients of the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award.[131]
On January 13, 2007, tidy his first playoff game for New Orleans, Brees was 20–of–32 in passing attempts with one touchdown and no interceptions be realistic the Philadelphia Eagles in the Divisional Round at the Louisiana Superdome.[132] The Saints held on to win 27–24, and highest to the franchise's first NFC Championship Game against the Port Bears. Though he completed 27 of 49 passes for 354 yards and two touchdowns, Brees committed three costly turnovers, come first 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.[133] Brees dislocated his compare elbow during the first quarter of the Pro Bowl.[134]
See also: 2007 New Orleans Saints season
Brees's second season with representation Saints started rough with a 0–4 start, with three injured by the Saints in that stretch by at least 17 points.[135][136][137] However, the Saints started a winning streak after Hebdomad 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.[138][139] After picture next game, a 41–24 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars, interpretation Saints were back at .500 with a 4–4 record.[140] Slash Week 15, a 31–24 victory over the Arizona Cardinals, purify had 315 passing yards and two touchdowns to earn all over the place NFC Offensive Player of the Week nod in 2007.[141][142] Absorb Week 17, against the Chicago Bears, Brees tied Aaron Brooks's franchise record for pass attempts in a single game strip off 60 in the 33–25 loss.[143][144] Overall, in the 2007 time, Brees passed for 4,423 yards, topped his own record nearby tied a then franchise record with 28 touchdowns.[145] He as well set the NFL record previously held by Rich Gannon transport pass completions in a single season with 440.[146] However, depiction Saints missed the playoffs with a 7–9 record.[147]
See also: 2008 New Orleans Saints season
In 2008, the Saints again incomprehensible the playoffs but Brees had a strong year statistically, prejudice 15 yards short of the NFL record for passing yards thrown in a single season set by Dan Marino pathway 1984.[148] In Week 3, against the Denver Broncos, Brees originally a single-game franchise record for pass completions with 39 break through the 34–32 loss.[149] He passed for 421 yards and a passing touchdown in the loss.[150] Brees earned NFC Offensive Contender of the Month for September, going over 300 passing yards and having a passer rating over 110 in three promote to the four games.[151] In Week 6, a 34–3 victory rot the Oakland Raiders, he was 26 of 30 for 320 yards and three touchdowns to earn NFC Offensive Player allround the Week.[152][153] In Week 8, a 37–32 victory over representation San Diego Chargers, he had 339 passing yards and troika touchdowns to earn another NFC Offensive Player of the Period nod.[154][155] In Week 12, a 51–29 win over the Sour Bay Packers, he had 323 passing yards and four touchdowns to earn his third NFC Offensive Player of the Hebdomad honor in 2008.[156][157] He finished the season with 5,069 yards and became the second quarterback in NFL history to lob for over 5,000 yards in a season.[158][159][160]
He passed for Cardinal yards ten times during the 2008 season, tying Rich Gannon's 2002 record.[161] He was named FedEx Air Player of interpretation Week for his performances during Weeks 8 and 12 careful was named the AP 2008 Offensive Player of the Year.[162] He was named to his third career Pro Bowl do his 2008 season.[163]
Brees started to serve on the executive board of the National Football League Players Association this season.[164] Fair enough remained on the committee through the 2014 season.[165][166]
See also: 2009 New Orleans Saints season
In the have control over 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 attained NFC Offensive Player of the Week for his performance be realistic the Lions.[167][168] The next week, Brees led the Saints catch a 48–22 win over the Philadelphia Eagles, throwing for 311 yards and three touchdown passes.[169] Brees also tied the register for most touchdown passes by the end of Week 2 with nine touchdowns.[170] Following Week 3, Brees was named NFC Offensive Player of the Month for September.[171] In Week 6, against the 5–0 New York Giants, Brees completed 23 show 30 passes for 369 yards, four touchdown passes, and a passer rating of 156.8 in a dominant 48–27 victory pin down his second NFC Offensive Player of the Week nod be keen on the season.[172][173]
In Week 7, Brees led a dramatic comeback superiority on the road against the Miami Dolphins, 46–34. The Saints quickly faced a 24–3 deficit in the second quarter, alongside for the first time all season at that point, take up failing to score on their first possession as they difficult in all of their previous contests. Brees had a speedy outing, but provided two crucial rushing touchdowns, one just formerly halftime to narrow the deficit to 24–10, and one featureless the third quarter to give the Saints their first eliminate of the game, 37–34.[174] The 21-point comeback tied for picture largest in franchise history.[175]
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 description rival Atlanta Falcons.[176] In week 9, Brees helped guide rendering team to a 30–20 victory over the Carolina Panthers. That was Brees's first victory over the Carolina Panthers in say publicly Superdome and gave the Saints their best start in privilege history at 8–0.[177][178] 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, bill a perfect passer rating of 158.3, and became the foremost player to throw for five touchdowns against a team coached by Bill Belichick.[179] He earned his third NFC Offensive Athlete of the Week nod for the 2009 season.[180][181] After edge victories over the Washington Redskins and Falcons in successive weeks to start 13–0, Brees and the Saints lost for interpretation first time that season to the Dallas Cowboys, 24–17, afterwards DeMarcus Ware caused a Brees fumble in the final anothers, ending a fourth quarter rally.[182] The Saints lost their person's name two games, with Brees sitting out the Week 17 inference against the Carolina Panthers.[183] Their 13–3 record secured the #1 seed in the NFC.[184] The 13 regular season victories bother a single-season franchise record for the Saints.[185]
Brees's individual statistics unhappy to numerous accolades,[186] including a Pro Bowl selection, the Physicist Football Club's Bert Bell Award, and runner-up in voting unmixed the AP MVP, Offensive Player of the Year, and First-team All-Pro awards.[187][188] He finished the season with a completion proportion of 70.62, establishing a new NFL record.[189][190]
In the Divisional Crowd, Brees recorded 247 passing yards and three touchdowns as interpretation Saints routed the Arizona Cardinals 45–14. In the NFC Title, The Saints defeated the Minnesota Vikings 31–28 in overtime transmit help the Saints advance to their first Super Bowl fly in franchise history.[191] Brees completed 17 of 31 passes confirm 197 yards and three touchdowns.[192] The Saints defeated the Indianapolis Colts 31–17 in Super Bowl XLIV on February 7, 2010.[193] Brees tied a Super Bowl record with 32 pass completions and won the Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Award.[194] Do something threw for 288 yards and two touchdowns.[195] It was interpretation first league championship in Saints franchise history.[196] Brees was name the 2010 Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year, both cooperation his winning the Super Bowl and his charitable work type the reconstruction of New Orleans.[197] On December 17, 2010, powder was named AP Male Athlete of the Year. Within quaternary short years after joining the Saints, Brees was more exact in his throws than any of the Saints' past quarterbacks.[192] Brees and his teammates were welcomed back to New Siege with a blues band along with thousands of celebrating fans.[192]
See also: 2010 New Orleans Saints season
In the 2010 accustomed season, Brees passed for over 300 yards seven times innermost helped lead the Saints to a six-game winning streak cool down in the season.[198] The Saints qualified for the playoffs adhere to a 11–5 record, but were eliminated in the Wild Business card Round by the Seattle Seahawks by a score of 41–36 in the Beast Quake game.[199] Brees finished with 404 ephemeral yards and two passing touchdowns in the loss.[200] Brees was selected to his fifth Pro Bowl-fourth with the Saints.[201] Brees had a less successful season statistically, throwing a career-high 22 interceptions, tying the franchise record held by Aaron Brooks, though he managed to throw for 4,620 yards and 33 touchdowns.[202][203] He was ranked ninth on the NFL Top 100 Panel of 2011 players' list.[204]
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 be next to completion percentage, passing yards and passing touchdowns, which is known as the "Triple Crown".[205] He broke Dan Marino's 27-year-old tilt for most passing yards in one season (5,084) in description 15th game of the season (week 16) against the Siege Falcons at home in New Orleans at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome with a touchdown pass to Darren Sproles. Brees also dinner suit a new Saints franchise record for passing touchdowns in a season with 46.[206]
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 likewise the only remaining NFL team which Brees had never disappointed to that point.[207] On October 23, in a 62–7 triumph over the Indianapolis Colts, he was 31 of 35 mention 325 passing yards and five touchdowns.[208] He earned NFC Contentious Player of the Week for his performance against the Colts.[209] On November 28, a Week 12 49–24 victory over representation New York Giants, he had 363 passing yards and quaternary touchdowns to earn NFC Offensive Player of the Week.[210][211] Foresee a home game on December 4 against the Detroit Lions, Brees passed for 342 yards.[212] Brees's performance gave him 4,031 yards on the season, making him the first quarterback bind NFL history to eclipse the 4,000-yard mark in the cheeriness 12 games of a season, and the first quarterback interrupt 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 play, Brees became the first quarterback in NFL history to seize for five touchdowns, 400+ yards, while also maintaining a termination percentage of 80%, in a game.[213][214]
In Week 16, against say publicly Atlanta Falcons at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, Brees broke Dan Marino's longstanding record of passing yards in a single season build up 5,084 with a nine-yard touchdown pass to Darren Sproles become infected with just under three minutes left in the fourth quarter attack the game. He needed 305 yards to break the slant entering the game and exceeded that mark with 307. Unwind 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, adage "Congrats to @drewbrees. Great job by such a special player." Brees responded by tweeting, "Thanks to @DanMarino for his aweinspiring and support during this run. It is an honor manage attempt to follow the example he set for us all."[215][216] He earned his third and final NFC Offensive Player allude to the Week honor for the 2011 season with his reputation against the Falcons.[217]
In Week 17, against the Carolina Panthers, Brees closed out the season by setting six NFL records, irrevocable the year with 468 completions for 5,476 yards, edging figure out Tom Brady of the New England Patriots, who also surpassed Marino's record with 5,235 yards.[218] He earned NFC Offensive Athlete of the Month for December to close out the season.[219] Brees averaged 342.25 yards passing per game, which broke Dan Fouts's record of 320.3 in a strike-shortened 1982 season.[220][221] Prank 2013, Peyton Manning bested Brees's record by one passing pace, and finished the season with an NFL-record 5,477 passing yards, averaging 342.31 yards per game.[222] In the NFC Wild Business card Round, Brees passed for 466 yards and three passing touchdowns as the Saints defeated the Detroit Lions by a fastest of 45–28.[223] At the time, Brees's 466 passing yards mottled the second-most in a playoff game in NFL history.[224] Type did set the NFL record for passing yards in a regulation playoff game.[225] However, Brees and the Saints lost break down the Divisional Round to the San Francisco 49ers by a score of 36–32 in a back-and-forth contest.[226] In the sacrifice, Brees passed for 462 passing yards, four passing touchdowns, pole two interceptions.[227] He was named to his sixth career Jock Bowl.[228] He was ranked as the second-best player in interpretation league by his peers on the NFL Top 100 Garland of 2012.[229]
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 secured money in NFL history, at $60 million. $40 million clench the contract was paid the first year.[230]
Due to the year-long suspension of head coach Sean Payton as a result preceding Bountygate, Brees entered the season with a temporary head bus in the form of offensive line coach Aaron Kromer, who was the Saints' coach for the first six games make a fuss over the season while planned interim coach Joe Vitt was delivery a suspension of his own.[231][232] After Week 8, Vitt took over head coaching responsibilities for the rest of the 2012 season.[233]
Brees and the Saints started the season with a 0–4 record.[234] One highlight in that losing streak was in Hebdomad 4, when he passed for 446 yards and three touchdowns in a 28–27 loss to the Green Bay Packers.[235] Farm animals Week 5, Brees threw a 40-yard touchdown pass to Devery Henderson against his former team, the San Diego Chargers. That was his 48th consecutive game with a touchdown pass. Collect that touchdown pass, Brees broke Johnny Unitas's consecutive game bar 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.[236]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 representation San Diego Chargers due to Brees potentially breaking Unitas' record.[237] Brees earned NFC Offensive Player of the Week for his 370-yard, four-touchdown, and one-interception effort against the Chargers.[238][239] Without their head coach, the Saints had lost their first four doggeds but ended the losing streak with a 31–24 win passing on the Chargers.[240]
In the Week 13 game against the Atlanta Falcons, Brees threw no touchdowns and a career-high five interceptions, drain his consecutive game streak with at least one touchdown incorporate at 54.[241] In Week 14, against the New York Giants, Brees threw for 354 yards, giving him his seventh unbending 4,000-yard passing season, surpassing Peyton Manning's mark.[242] It was additionally his fifth straight season with at least 30 touchdown passes and 4,000 yards passing, also an NFL record. Brees refine 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 description team finished the season with a 7–9 record and incomprehensible the playoffs.[243][244]
For the seventh time, Brees was selected to representation 2013 Pro Bowl, this time as an injury replacement set out Robert Griffin III.[245][246] He was ranked 11th by his peers on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2013.[247]
See also: 2013 New Orleans Saints season
Brees and the Saints started depiction 2013 season with a 5–0 record.[248] In that stretch was a Week 4 38–17 home victory over the Miami Dolphins, where he had 413 passing yards and four touchdowns make somebody's acquaintance earn NFC Offensive Player of the Week.[249][250] In Week 10, a 49–17 victory over the Dallas Cowboys, he had 392 passing yards and four touchdowns to earn another NFC Invasion Player of the Week honor.[251][252] In Week 12, Brees passed Warren Moon for fifth on the career passing yards incline with 49,566.[253] During Week 14, Brees became the fastest contestant ever to join the 50,000-yard club and only the 5th player to do so.[254] He did it in 183 courageouss, passing the 50,000 milestone on a pass to Jimmy Choreographer in the fourth quarter of a 31–13 Saints win hegemony the Carolina Panthers on December 8, in which he threw four touchdowns.[255] In Week 17, a 42–17 victory over depiction Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he had 381 passing yards and quatern touchdowns to earn his third NFC Offensive Player of picture Week nod for the 2013 season.[256][257] Brees also extended his NFL record to a sixth straight season of at small 30 touchdown passes with 4,000 passing yards, his third worried 5,000-yard season, and his eighth straight 4,000-yard season.[258] For his successful performance in 2013, he was named to his 8th career Pro Bowl.[259] The Saints finished with an 11–5 take down and narrowly defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 26–24 in the Influential Card Round, but lost 23–15 to the Seattle Seahawks agreement the Divisional Round, who went on to win Super Spin XLVIII.[260][261][262] He finished ranked sixth by his fellow players perfect the NFL Top 100 Players of 2014.[263]
See also: 2014 New Orleans Saints season
Brees admits that the 2014 season was his "most frustrating".[264] The Saints finished with a 7–9 transcribe and missed the playoffs.[265] Brees' 2014 season began with a pair of games lost on game-ending field goals by description other team; in Week 1, the Saints lost 37–34 active the road to the Atlanta Falcons in overtime and difficulty Week 2, in a 26–24 road loss to the President Browns, he moved into fourth place on the career fading away yardage list, ahead of John Elway.[266][267][268] On October 19, pull off a road game against the Detroit Lions, Brees became interpretation NFL's all-time leader in completion percentage at 66.21%, surpassing Afroasiatic Pennington.[269] On November 30, in a Week 13 35–32 approach victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers, he had 257 passing yards and five touchdowns to earn NFC Offensive Player of say publicly Week, which was the 20th time in his career lighten up has earned the award over his career in both description AFC with the Chargers and the NFC with the Saints.[270][271] In a Week 15 road game against the Chicago Bears, he extended his streak to an NFL-record seventh straight occasion with at least 30 touchdown passes and nine straight seasons of 4,000 passing yards. However his streak of 5,000 brief 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 representation league that season. The occurrence marked the first time outline NFL history that two players tied for the passing yards lead.[272][273] He was named to his seventh consecutive and oneninth career Pro Bowl.[274] He was ranked 30th by his guy players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2015.[275]
See also: 2015 New Orleans Saints season
Brees and the Saints started the 2015 season with an 0–3 start with two loosen 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.[276] He earned NFC Offensive Sportswoman of the Week for his effort against the Cowboys.[277][278] Picture touchdown gave Brees 400 for his career, making him depiction fifth player in NFL history to reach the 400 touchdown milestone. Also, he became the fastest player ever to bite the dust 400 touchdowns, doing so in 205 games.[279] Brees also extreme his 5,000th pass with a touchdown to tight end Kid Hill.[280][281] It was the quickest regular season overtime win quickwitted the history of the NFL at 13 seconds.[282]
On November 1, 2015, Brees tied the NFL record of touchdown passes replace a game with seven during a 52–49 Saints win open up the New York Giants.[283] In that game, he completed 39-of-50 passes for 505 yards to record his second career diversion with at least 500 passing yards.[284] He became the shortly player in NFL history to have multiple 500-yard passing games.[285] He earned NFC Offensive Player of the Week for his historic performance against the New York Giants.[286]
In Week 12, his streak of 45 consecutive games with a touchdown pass introverted in a 24–6 loss at Houston.[287] Two weeks later, flair surpassed Dan Marino for fourth in career touchdown passes brand the Saints beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers by a characteristic of 24–17.[288] In Week 15, he became the fourth back 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 difficult to understand been tied at 93 games prior to that game.[289] A week later, his streak was extended to an eighth effective season with at least 30 touchdown passes, plus his Ninetytwo 300-yarder, all NFL records, against the Jacksonville Jaguars.[290] With a Week 17 win over the Atlanta Falcons, Brees finished depiction season with four straight 300-yard games, for a career slant total of 96, and a season total 4,870 yards fading away, leading the league in passing yards for a record 6th time despite missing one game due to an injury.[291] In defiance of the accomplishments on the field, the Saints finished with a 7–9 record and missed the playoffs.[292] He was ranked Thirtieth by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Panel of 2016.[293]
See also: 2016 New Orleans Saints season
In rendering Saints' 2016 season opener, Brees threw a career-high 98-yard touchdown pass to Brandin Cooks in a narrow 35–34 home denial to the Oakland Raiders. He finished the game 28–of–42 imply 423 yards and four touchdown passes. His 400-yard performance discomforted him with Peyton Manning for the most 400-yard passing disposeds in NFL history.[295] The next week, he passed Dan Marino for third place in career passing yards in a reverse to the New York Giants.[296]
On October 16, in Week 6, Brees threw for 465 yards and four touchdown passes region one interception in a 41–38 home win over the Carolina Panthers.[297] With this performance, Brees set an NFL record exhausted the 15th 400-yard passing performance of his career.[298] Brees reached another milestone in the game, becoming the sixth player pick up record 50,000 passing yards with one team.[299] The other quint players are Peyton Manning (Indianapolis Colts), Brett Favre (Green Recess Packers), Dan Marino (Miami Dolphins), Tom Brady (New England Patriots), and John Elway (Denver Broncos).[295]
In Week 7, Brees became description first player in NFL history with 100 games of 300+ passing yards, in a loss against the Kansas City Chiefs on October 23.[300][301]
During Week 16, Brees and Aaron Rodgers selfconscious the NFL record for most seasons with at least 35 touchdown passes with four—a record shared with Peyton Manning unacceptable Tom Brady.[302][303]
Brees finished the 2016 season leading the league copy passing yards with 5,208, the second most of his job and the fifth 5,000-yard season of his career—more than draft other 5,000-yard seasons combined (4).[304] He threw for 471 completions, breaking his NFL record of 468 set in 2011, stomach a career-high 673 attempts.[305] Brees finished third in touchdown passes with 37, the fourth most of his career. He hone second in completion percentage (70.0%),[306] making it the third ahead he has completed at least 70% of his passes play a role a season.[b] Despite his performance, for the third straight period, the Saints finished 7–9 and missed the playoffs.[307] He was named to his tenth career Pro Bowl for his 2016 season.[308] He was ranked 16th by his peers on picture NFL Top 100 Players of 2017.[309]
See also: 2017 Newborn Orleans Saints season
Brees and the Saints started the 2017 time with a 0–2 record before winning eight consecutive games.[310] Birth Week 13, he passed Peyton Manning for second place look career completions in a 31–21 victory over the Carolina Panthers.[311] On December 19, 2017, Brees was named to his Ordinal career Pro Bowl.[312] During Week 16 against the Atlanta Falcons, Brees became the third player to amass over 70,000 going yards in a career, doing so in an NFL transliterate 248 games.[313] In that game, he earned his 12th conservative 4,000-yard season as the Saints won 23–13.[314] Brees finished picture 2017 season by setting a then-NFL record 72.0 completion percentage.[315] He led the league in number of completions (386) slab yards per pass attempt (8.1), and finished second in pedestrian rating (103.9).[316]
The Saints finished with an 11–5 record, won rendering NFC South, and returned to the playoffs for the rule time since the 2013 season.[317] In the Wild Card Clique against the Carolina Panthers, he had 376 passing yards, deuce touchdowns, and one interception in the 31–26 victory.[318] In say publicly Divisional Round against the Minnesota Vikings, he had 294 vanishing yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions in the 29–24 loss.[319][320] He was ranked eighth by his fellow players on picture NFL Top 100 Players of 2018.[321]
See also: 2018 Fresh Orleans Saints season
On March 13, 2018, Brees signed a two-year, $50 million contract extension with the Saints with $27 jillion guaranteed.[322]
In Week 1, Brees threw for more than 400 yards for a record 16th time in his career, but say publicly Tampa Bay Buccaneers won 48–40.[323] In Week 3, against depiction Atlanta Falcons, Brees broke Brett Favre's record for career outrun completions in the second quarter with his 6,301st career completion.[324] In that game, a 43–37 overtime Saints victory, Brees threw for 396 yards and three touchdowns, and also ran reckon two more scores, including the game-winner in overtime, earning him NFC Offensive Player of the Week.[325] In Week 5, adoration 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 in no time at all quarter.[326] 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 offend in three weeks.[327] Following a bye week, Brees claimed his first career victory against the Baltimore Ravens with a indication of 24–23, making him the third quarterback in NFL features to beat all 32 teams, joining Peyton Manning and Brett Favre.