NFL power rankings: Starting quarterbacks from best to worst
By John Buhler
Drew Brees is without question a top-10 quarterback all-time. He has already brought New Orleans a Super Bowl and is easily the greatest player in Saints franchise history. Into his late 30s, Brees continues to throw for a ton of yards and touchdowns every season in Sean Payton’s Saints offense.
In 2016, Brees completed 70.0 percent of his passes for 5,208 yards, 37 touchdowns and 18 interceptions. The 10-time Pro Bowler will throw for over 70,000 career yards this fall should he not succumb to injury. There may not be a better quarterback to bring into a shootout in NFL history than Brees.
That being said, Brees’ brilliant passing numbers have not translated to winning very much in recent years. The Saints have been a slightly below-.500 team the last few years. New Orleans defense has been a historically bad one for most of the last five years.
In short, Brees is running out of time to pursue another shot at the Super Bowl. However, he has the durability and the skill set to play quarterback for the Saints into his 40s. This is very impressive, as Brees is maybe six-feet tall. He will go down as the greatest undersized quarterback in NFL history.
Brees on most teams would have that NFL club poised to contend for a Super Bowl. However, the Saints’ one-sided nature as an offensive-minded football team has wasted the last few years of his prime. Brees’ prime is waning. Can the Saints put together a contender before he swiftly exits it?