When Drew Brees retired from the NFL in 2020, he immediately started his countdown to Canton as he’ll certainly be enshrined in the Hall of Fame when first eligible in 2026. Brees is the greatest player in New Orleans Saints history. He solidified that distinction by leading the team to its first – and so far only – Super Bowl title in the 2009 season.
Brees boasts far too many accolades to enumerate here. But he earned his place in football lore as the NFL's second all-time leader in completions, passing yards and passing touchdowns.
Brees relied on timing, accuracy and flawless mechanics to rack up 80,358 yards and 571 touchdowns as a passer over his 20-year career. And while his style was unique, he does see a bit of himself in one of the NFL’s many talented current quarterbacks.
“Joe Burrow to me is like a surgeon, just a technician. I relate maybe most to him from the perspective that he’s got that very disciplined drop. Everything just has like a very specific technique to it that you can tell is just trained and practiced and just the command at the line of scrimmage, just a little bit of that swagger that you try to play with,” Brees said on ESPN’s “This is Football.”
Joe Burrow earns high praise ahead of 2025 NFL season
Burrow began his career in 2020 after the Bengals drafted him with the first overall pick. However, unlike Brees, Burrow enjoyed immediate success in the NFL. The sixth-year veteran led the Bengals to their first Super Bowl appearance in his second season. And he reached the AFC Championship Game in 2022.
Brees truly began to thrive after landing in New Orleans in 2006. During his 15-year run with the Saints, he won the Super Bowl and reached two Conference Championships.
The two do share the distinction of winning Comeback Player of the Year. Brees won the award twice, in 2008 and 2011, while Burrow won it for his incredible 2024 campaign.
Last season, Burrow led the NFL in passing yards, touchdowns and completion percentage. Yet despite his MVP-caliber campaign, the team failed to reach the playoffs. Burrow blames himself for the Bengals’ failures. But Cincinnati had the league’s best passing offense and the 25th-ranked defense.
After pressuring the Bengals into big extensions for his top-two wide receivers over the offseason, Burrow should once again be a force in 2025. Cincinnati begins the regular season on September 7 against the Cleveland Browns.
