It sure does seem like the NFL has something against Drew Brees.
The New Orleans Saints quarterback holds the league’s career records for touchdown passes, passing yards, completed passes, and completion percentage.
Sitting atop the history books, it seems he would be recognized among the league’s all-time greats, but twice in the last five months, Brees has been an afterthought on two of the NFL’s highest honors.
In December, Brees was not included among the 100 players named to the league’s all-time team. This week, he was left off of the NFL’s 2010 all-decade team.
The NFL 100, picked as part of the league’s centennial celebration, was chosen by a specially selected team of former players, coaches, and media members. They named Sammy Baugh, Tom Brady, John Elway, Brett Favre, Otto Graham, Peyton Manning, Dan Marino, Joe Montana, Roger Staubach, and Johnny Unitas as the 10 quarterbacks on the NFL’s all-time team.
The week the team was announced, long-time NFL beat reporter Peter King, who was part of the committee, revealed “The final vote took place in June 2018.”
That means the two most accurate seasons in Brees’ career (2018 and 2019) were not included for consideration, nor were his last 56 touchdowns or final 7,000 passing yards. Had they been, Brees, it seems, surely would have been included.
King admitted as much, writing, “The vote being a year-and-a-half ago clearly had some effect on the outcome. Had the committee of 26 voted this week, my guess is Brees would have been chosen over Roger Staubach.”
One would think such an omission on such a major honor would have the NFL doing all it can to ensure honorifics ae as accurate and acceptable as possible. However, the league fumbled once again.
This week, the NFL and Pro Football Hall of Fame released the 2010s All-Decade Team, honoring the game’s 55 greatest players from 2010-2019 as chosen by the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s 48-member selection committee. Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers were picked as the two best QBs of the decade.
I am A-OK with Brady’s inclusion. He’s had a stellar decade, won three of his six Super Bowls, and has put up amazing numbers.
Rodgers over Brees is a different story. Sure, Rodgers led Green Bay to a Super Bowl win in 2010, a year after New Orleans won in 2009, but the Packers haven’t done much since. Brees’ numbers and league-leading accomplishments in the last 10 years have been greater. In the last decade Brees, a nine-time Pro Bowler in the decade, has thrown for 3,043 yards and 29 more touchdowns than Brady and 8,625 yards and 40 TDs more than Rodgers. Brees is the only QB in NFL history to top 5,000 yards passing four times.
Seemingly forgotten is the fact that in 2012, Brees smashed Johnny Unitas’ 52-year record of consecutive games with a touchdown pass (47) and set the mark at 54.
The NFL is the most popular sporting league in the United States, but the NFL 100 and All-2010s teams hurt its credibility.
The numbers are plain to see.
Brees belongs on both lists.
NFL Passing Yards & Touchdowns 2010-2019
The NFL released it 2010s All-Decade team this week. Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers made the team. New Orleans Saints QB Drew Brees didn’t make the cut despite having superior numbers.
Player Yards TDs
Brees 46,770 345
Brady 43,727 316
Rodgers 38,145 305
