Drew Brees has built quite a career over the years. This may have gone under the radar for some, but he could well hang up his NFL gloves having achieved a higher completion percentage and more passing yards that both Peyton Manning and Tom Brady – the two QB giants of Brees’ era.
January will see the QB turn 38 years of age and it isn’t difficult to imagine him throwing in the Superdome for multiple more seasons. A friend of Brees, Eli Manning, has just been benched in favor of first-round flop Geno Smith, proving there are no guarantees in life, a fact stated by Giants owner John Mara when asked if the coach Ben McAdoo will still be here next season. In fact, McAdoo was fired just days after Mara’s comment.
“Drew Brees” (CC BY-SA 2.0) by Keith Allison
A great team has a great chance
Even if we are to assume that Saints coach Sean Payton remains as head coach, Brees may never again have the luxury of running backs Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram playing together, both as dynamic and healthy as they are right now. He also may never again have his defense playing this effectively.
Along with the impressive backfield duo, Brees is, as ever, putting up some impressive numbers to help his team. In fact, the Saints as a whole are helping Saints fans feel good about this season, with the latest NFL betting seeing the Saints at +1400.00 to win the Super Bowl. Whether they will be standing as world champions on February 4, however, is another matter.
Writing them off was a mistake
This season was regarded as the last-chance saloon for Brees and Payton, who had produced three losing years in a row. Payton has a degree of protection in the form of a stuffed contract, and as for Brees, his bona fide status and achievements in the game were always going to buy him time.
Of course, Brees’ future isn’t in doubt; for now, at least, with the Saints, now standing at 9-3 and rewriting the script that so many had written for them.
Brees became a symbol of hope in a town that not too long ago was hit by Hurricane Katrina when he fended off Peyton Manning in Super Bowl XLIV, the son of another famed Saints QB, Archie Manning. Archie and Drew first met at a function after Brees had scored some impressive statistics in his senior year and was immediately impressed by the then-young QB.
Don’t bet against Brees
Just two years ago, Eli Manning and Brees scored a league record when combining for 13 touchdowns in a 52-49 victory for the Saints. For the bench-warming Manning, that game may seem like it was played a decade ago, proving things can change without a moment’s notice in the NFL. Brees isn’t under any illusions about that, but also knows that the Saints have a realistic shot of winning it all this year. And who would bet against the soon-to-be 39-year-old Brees? The QB is playing on a pretty great team right now and has a great opportunity to win a Second Super Bowl ring before Father Time catches up with him.