One of the greatest quarterbacks of all time has been enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. New Orleans Saints legend Drew Brees was among the five players who were inducted into the Hall of Fame yesterday. Brees, who led the Saints to success for most of his career, will now be immortalized along with other legends of his time.
After Brees won the award, his former coach in New Orleans, Sean Payton, sent a message to him on X. The former Saints coach, now with the Denver Broncos, congratulated his former player on being enshrined in the Hall.
“He came when most were leaving,” Payton posted on X. “Set a bar so high for all of us. He led immediately. He’s OUR 1st Ballot HOF QB! Congratulations Drew Brees. Also, Congratulations to your wife Brittany, Baylen, Bowen, Callen, and Rylen. It was an honor to have coached you.”
Brees also thanked Payton and Saints owner Mickey Loomis moments after the win.
“None of this is possible without Sean Payton and Mickey Loomis,” Brees said. “Believing in me at a time when it was kind of hard for me to believe in myself, coming off that injury. But it was those guys who saw something in me, believed in me, and then equipped and empowered me to be the best that I could be. Without that confidence and without that belief in me, this wouldn’t have happened.”
The Brees-Payton pairing had a record of 144-85 during their time together with the Saints. Brees signed with the Saints without much fanfare. After coming off a shoulder injury with the San Diego Chargers, it seemed like Brees was already written off. Instead, the quarterback became one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time. He’s second in league history in passing yards, passing touchdowns, and completed passes, second only to Tom Brady. He still has the third-best completion rate in his career.
With a Super Bowl and a Super Bowl MVP to his name, Brees was always going to be a first-ballot Hall of Famer. He played in an era with the greatest quarterback and was nearly in lockstep with Brady, save for the championship.
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