Brees played
college football for the
Purdue Boilermakers, where he set the
Big Ten Conference records for completions, attempts, and yards. Due to questions over his height and arm strength, however, he was not selected until the second round of the
2001 NFL draft by the
San Diego Chargers. Brees initially struggled before having a breakout season in 2004, earning him
Pro Bowl and
Comeback Player of the Year honors. Re-signed to a one-year contract, Brees suffered a potentially career-ending injury the following season, which resulted in the Chargers allowing him to leave in free agency. Joining the Saints, he brought new success to a franchise that had only seven winning seasons, five playoff appearances, and one postseason win during the 39 years prior to his arrival. From 2006 to 2020, Brees led the Saints to nine playoff appearances, seven division titles (including four consecutive from 2017 to 2020), three
NFC Championship Game appearances, and the franchise's first
Super Bowl title in
Super Bowl XLIV, earning him the game's
MVP award.[8]
By the conclusion of his 15 seasons in New Orleans, Brees had extended his total Pro Bowl selections to 13 and was twice named
Offensive Player of the Year. He also
led the NFL in passing yards a record seven times. Brees retired after the 2020 season and spent the following year as an analyst on NBC Sunday Night Football.[9][10] He returned to Purdue as an interim assistant football coach in 2022.[11]
Early life and high school
Brees was born on January 15, 1979[12] in
Dallas, Texas, to Eugene Wilson "Chip" Brees II, a prominent trial lawyer, and Mina Ruth (née Akins; died 2009), an attorney. His grandfather fought in the
Battle of Okinawa.[13][14] A Sports Illustrated article stated he was named for
Dallas Cowboys wide receiver
Drew Pearson[15] but in a 2014 interview Brees said this story was "just legend".[16] He has a younger brother, Reid (born 1981). When Brees was seven, his parents divorced and shared custody of the boys, who split their time between both parents' homes. Today, he admits that it was a very tough and challenging life after the divorce; however, Brees and his younger brother, Reid, supported each other and became very close.[17] They have a younger half-sister, Audrey, from their father's remarriage to Amy Hightower, daughter of the late U.S. Representative (
D-
TX)
Jack English Hightower.[18][19] Brees was raised
Baptist.[20]
After moving to the Austin area, Brees did not play tackle football until high school and was on the
flag football team at
St. Andrew's Episcopal School, where his teammates included actor
Ben McKenzie, who was in the same year. In high school, he was a
varsity letterman in baseball, basketball, and football,[28] and was considering playing
college baseball rather than football.[29] College recruiters quickly ran after Brees blew out his knee in the 11th grade.[17] After overcoming the
ACL tear, he was selected as Texas High School 5A Most Valuable Offensive Player in 1996 and led the
Austin Westlake High School football team to a 16–0 record and a state championship.[19][30] As a high school football player, Brees completed 314 of 490 passes (64.1 percent) for 5,461 yards with 50 touchdowns, including in his senior season, 211 of 333 passes (63.4 percent) for 3,528 yards with 31 touchdowns.[31] When Brees started for two seasons, Westlake went 28–0–1 and beat a
Dominic Rhodes-led
Abilene Cooper 55–15 in the 1996 title game.[24][31][32] He was given honorable mention in the state high school all-star football team and the USA TodayAll-USA high school football team,[33] alongside former
San Diego Chargers teammate and longtime friend
LaDainian Tomlinson.[18][34] Brees had hoped to follow in his father's and uncle's footsteps and play for the
Texas Longhorns or
Texas A&M Aggies, but was not heavily recruited despite his stellar record.[19][35]
College career
Brees received offers from only two colleges,
Purdue and
Kentucky, choosing Purdue for its highly rated academics.[22] He graduated in 2001 with a degree in
industrial management,[36] and is a member of the
Sigma Chi fraternity.[37]
After a relatively uneventful freshman season, Brees was given his first start during his sophomore year by
Boilermakers head coach
Joe Tiller and became an integral part of Tiller and
Jim Chaney's unorthodox "basketball on grass"
spread offense, serving as offensive captain during his junior and senior years.[38][39] In the 1998 season, in a game against
Wisconsin, Brees tied an NCAA single-game record with 55 completions and set the NCAA record for pass attempts in a single game with 83. He finished 31–24 loss with 494 yards, two touchdowns and four interceptions.[40] He had the option to make himself available for the
2000 NFL draft but chose to return for his senior year to complete his studies.[41] In
2000, he led the
Boilermakers to memorable last-minute upsets against top-ranked
Ohio State[42] and
Michigan en route to the Boilermakers' first
Big Ten championship (shared with
Michigan and
Northwestern) since 1967.[43] The Ohio State game was replayed on
ESPN Classic and is widely remembered for Brees's four
interceptions and 64-yard touchdown pass to Seth Morales with 1:55 remaining to seal a vital 31–27 win, prompting commentator
Brent Musburger to exclaim "Holy Toledo!" and a post-game
field rush.[44][45][46] Brees helped lead Purdue to a #9 ranking in the AP Poll, the program's highest spot since the 1980 season, during the year.[47][48] Due to head-to-head victories over Michigan and Northwestern, Purdue won the invitation to the
2001 Rose Bowl, which was the school's first appearance there since 1967.[49]
Brees was a finalist for the
Davey O'Brien Award as the nation's best quarterback in 1999.[50] He won the
Maxwell Award as the nation's outstanding player of 2000[51] and the
NCAA's
Today's Top VIII Award as a member of the Class of 2001.[52] Brees was also fourth in
Heisman Trophy voting in 1999 and third in 2000.[53] As a senior, Brees became the first Boilermaker since Bruce Brineman in 1989 to earn
Academic All-America honors.[54][55][56][57] Additionally, he won Academic All-Big Ten honors a record three times,[58] was initiated into
Mortar Board[55] and awarded the
Big Ten Medal of Honor[59] and the
NFF National Scholar-Athlete Award.[60][61] Brees also was awarded Purdue's Leonard Wilson Award for unselfishness and dedication.[62]
In his college career, Brees set two NCAA records, 13
Big Ten Conference records, and 19 Purdue University records.[63] He left Purdue with Big Ten Conference records in passing yards (11,792),[28]touchdown passes (90), total offensive yards (12,693), completions (1,026), and attempts (1,678).[38] He tied an NCAA record with the 99-yard pass to receiver
Vinny Sutherland against
Northwestern on September 25, 1999, and held the NCAA record for pass attempts in a game (83) for 15 years, until
Washington State quarterback
Connor Halliday broke it in October 2013.[64][65]
In 2009, Brees was inducted into Purdue's Intercollegiate Athletics Hall of Fame.[66] The
Big Ten Conference's
Griese–Brees Quarterback of the Year award initiated in 2011 was named in his and
Bob Griese's honor.[67] He was named the Big Ten's best quarterback of the 1990s[68] and ranked number 48 on the 2010 documentary Big Ten Icons, featuring the conference's top fifty student-athletes.[69][70][71]
Brees's college success led to projections that he would be a mid–late first-round draft pick in the
2001 NFL draft,[73] but he slipped due to concerns about his relatively short stature for a professional quarterback (6'0), a perceived lack of arm strength, and a sense that he had succeeded in college in a spread offense. Brees was the second quarterback selected in the 2001 NFL Draft behind
Michael Vick of
Virginia Tech.[74] He was chosen by the
San Diego Chargers with the first pick of the second round with the 32nd overall pick.[75] San Diego originally had the first pick in that draft, but traded it to
Atlanta (who drafted Vick) in return for the fifth pick of the first round with which San Diego drafted
LaDainian Tomlinson.[75]
In his rookie season, Brees was the backup quarterback to
Doug Flutie, who started all 16 games that season.[76] Brees played in his first professional game on November 4, 2001, against the
Kansas City Chiefs in Week 8. He came into the game to relieve Flutie, who had suffered a concussion.[77] He finished with 221 passing yards and his first career passing touchdown, a 20-yard pass to
Freddie Jones.[78] The game against the Chiefs was Brees's lone appearance as a rookie.
On August 19, 2002, he was named the starter for the
2002 season over Doug Flutie.[79] Brees started all 16 games for the Chargers. The season started off well for the Chargers with a 6–1 start, but faded down the stretch with a 2–7 record over the last nine games to finish 8–8.[80] He finished the 2002 season with 3,284 passing yards, 17 touchdowns, and 16 interceptions.[81]
In Week 4 of the 2003 season, Brees recorded a 21-yard touchdown reception on a pass thrown by LaDainian Tomlinson in the 34–31 overtime loss to the
Oakland Raiders.[82] After a disappointing 1–7 start to the
2003 season, Brees was replaced by Flutie, though he regained the job by Week 15.[83][84] In 11 games, he finished with 2,108 passing yards, 11 touchdowns, and 15 interceptions.[85]
Brees's career with the Chargers was in jeopardy after San Diego
acquiredNC State'sPhilip Rivers after the
2004 NFL draft.[86] With a looming quarterback controversy, he performed well through training camp and the preseason, while Rivers held out during training camp, essentially guaranteeing Brees the job to begin the season with Rivers as his backup.[87][88]
Brees remained the starter throughout the
2004 season, where he started 15 games and led the team to a 12–4 regular season record.[89] In Week 8, against the
Oakland Raiders, he was 22 of 25 for 281 yards and five touchdowns in the 42–14 victory to earn his first AFC Offensive Player of the Week honor.[90][91] Brees posted spectacular numbers, completing 65.5% of his passes for 3,159 yards, with 27 touchdowns to only seven interceptions, giving him a 104.8
passer rating.[92] The Chargers won the
AFC West for the first time in 10 seasons and Brees was selected to the
2004 Pro Bowl.[93][94] He was named 2004
NFL Comeback Player of the Year.[95] In the
Wild Card Round against the
New York Jets, Brees had 319 passing yards, two passing touchdowns, and one interception in the 20–17 overtime loss.[96]
Brees became a free agent after the 2004 season and was not expected to return to San Diego, which had already committed a large sum of money to Rivers. The team eventually designated Brees a
franchise player, giving him a one-year contract that quadrupled his pay to $8 million for 2005. Under the terms of the franchise player contract, Brees was eligible to be traded or to sign with another team, but the Chargers would receive two future first-round draft choices in return. He was not traded and continued as the starting quarterback for the remainder of the 2005 season.[97]
After a 1–2 start, Brees helped lead a 41–17 victory over the
New England Patriots. He was 19 of 24 for 248 passing yards and two touchdowns and earned AFC Offensive Player of the Week for the effort.[98][99] He posted a career-high in passing yards with 3,576. Brees also posted an 89.2 rating, 10th best in the NFL.[100][101] However, in the last game of the 2005 season against the
Denver Broncos, Brees tore his
labrum while trying to pick up his own fumble after being hit by Broncos
safetyJohn Lynch.[102] Denver tackle
Gerard Warren hit Brees while he was on the ground, causing the injury.[103] Brees underwent
arthroscopic surgery, performed by
Dr. James Andrews, to repair the torn labrum in his right (throwing) shoulder on January 5, 2006.[104] Subsequent reports mentioned additional partial
rotator cuff damage and he also was treated by Dr. Saby Szajowitz to recover and regain muscle movement.[105]
After the season, the Chargers offered Brees a five-year, $50 million contract that paid $2 million in base salary the first year and the rest heavily based on performance incentives.[106]
New Orleans Saints (2006–2020)
After the Chargers refused to increase their offer, Brees met with other teams. The
New Orleans Saints and the
Miami Dolphins were interested in Brees.[107] New Orleans made an offer that included $10 million in guaranteed money the first year and a $12 million option the second year. Miami was unsure whether Brees' shoulder was completely healed and doctors suggested the team should not sign him because of the injury.[108][109] The Dolphins ended negotiations and traded for
Minnesota Vikings quarterback
Daunte Culpepper instead.[110] Brees signed a six-year, $60 million deal with the Saints on March 14, 2006.[111] The Dolphins' decision to not sign Brees was the reason why Nick Saban resigned and left for Alabama.[112]
Brees had a productive first year with the Saints. The team, under first-year head coach
Sean Payton, rebounded from its disastrous
2005 season, when the team was
unable to play in New Orleans due to the
damage caused by
Hurricane Katrina and struggled to a 3–13 record, to finish with a 10–6 regular season record and won the NFC South division title. The Saints also earned the NFC's second seed as well as a first-round bye.[113][114] On November 5, in the 31–14 victory over the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he had 314 passing yards and three touchdowns to earn his first NFC Offensive Player of the Week honor.[115][116] On November 19, in a 31–16 victory over the
Cincinnati Bengals, he threw for a career-high 510 passing yards, two touchdowns, and three interceptions.[117] Brees's 510 passing yards marked a single-game franchise record and was the sixth most for a single game in NFL history at the time.[118] In Week 14, a 42–17 victory over the
Dallas Cowboys, he had 384 passing yards and five touchdowns to earn his second NFC Offensive Player of the Week award in 2006.[119][120] Brees threw a league-leading and franchise record 4,418 passing yards, finished third in the league with 26 touchdown passes and 11 interceptions, and had a 96.2 passer rating.[121] Brees was named starting quarterback for the NFC in the
2007 Pro Bowl[122] and was named as a First-team All-Pro.[123] On January 5, 2007, Brees was named first runner-up behind former teammate Tomlinson for league MVP by the
Associated Press.[124] Brees and Tomlinson were co-recipients of the
Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award.[125]
On January 13, 2007, in his first playoff game for New Orleans, Brees was 20–of–32 in passing attempts with one touchdown and no interceptions against the
Philadelphia Eagles in the
Divisional Round at the
Louisiana Superdome.[126] The Saints held on to win 27–24, and advanced to the franchise's first
NFC Championship Game against the
Chicago Bears. Though he completed 27 of 49 passes for 354 yards and two touchdowns, Brees committed three costly turnovers, and was penalized for an intentional grounding in the endzone, resulting in a
safety, as the Saints lost in the
NFC Championship by a score of 39–14.[127] Brees dislocated his left elbow during the first quarter of the Pro Bowl.[128]
Brees's second season with the Saints started rough with a 0–4 start, with three losses by the Saints in that stretch by at least 17 points.[129][130][131] However, the Saints started a winning streak after Week 5. In Week 8, a 31–10 victory over the
San Francisco 49ers, he had 336 passing yards and four touchdowns to earn NFC Offensive Player of the Week.[132][133] After the next game, a 41–24 victory over the
Jacksonville Jaguars, the Saints were back at .500 with a 4–4 record.[134] In Week 15, a 31–24 victory over the
Arizona Cardinals, he had 315 passing yards and two touchdowns to earn another NFC Offensive Player of the Week nod in 2007.[135][136] In Week 17, against the
Chicago Bears, Brees tied Aaron Brooks's franchise record for pass attempts in a single game with 60 in the 33–25 loss.[137][138] Overall, in the
2007 season, Brees passed for 4,423 yards, topped his own record and tied a then franchise record with 28 touchdowns.[139] He also set the NFL record previously held by
Rich Gannon for pass completions in a single season with 440.[140] However, the Saints missed the playoffs with a 7–9 record.[141]
In 2008, the Saints again missed the playoffs but Brees had a strong year statistically, finishing 15 yards short of the NFL record for passing yards thrown in a single season set by
Dan Marino in 1984.[142] In Week 3, against the
Denver Broncos, Brees set a single-game franchise record for pass completions with 39 in the 34–32 loss.[143] He passed for 421 yards and a passing touchdown in the loss.[144] Brees earned NFC Offensive Player of the Month for September, going over 300 passing yards and having a passer rating over 110 in three of the four games.[145] In Week 6, a 34–3 victory over the
Oakland Raiders, he was 26 of 30 for 320 yards and three touchdowns to earn NFC Offensive Player of the Week.[146][147] In Week 8, a 37–32 victory over the
San Diego Chargers, he had 339 passing yards and three touchdowns to earn another NFC Offensive Player of the Week nod.[148][149] In Week 12, a 51–29 win over the
Green Bay Packers, he had 323 passing yards and four touchdowns to earn his third NFC Offensive Player of the Week honor in 2008.[150][151] He finished the season with 5,069 yards and became the second quarterback in NFL history to throw for over 5,000 yards in a season.[152][153][154]
He passed for 300 yards ten times during the 2008 season, tying
Rich Gannon's 2002 record. He was named
FedEx Air Player of the Week for his performances during Weeks 8 and 12 and was named the
AP 2008 Offensive Player of the Year.[155] He was named to his third career Pro Bowl for his 2008 season.[156]
In the first game of the
2009 season against the
Detroit Lions, Brees set a career-high and franchise-tying record with six touchdown passes, going 26 out of 34 for 358 yards. He earned NFC Offensive Player of the Week for his performance against the Lions.[160][161] The next week, Brees led the Saints to a 48–22 win over the
Philadelphia Eagles, throwing for 311 yards and three touchdown passes.[162] Brees also tied the record for most touchdown passes by the end of Week 2 with nine touchdowns.[163] Following Week 3, Brees was named NFC Offensive Player of the Month for September.[164] In Week 6, against the 5–0
New York Giants, Brees completed 23 of 30 passes for 369 yards, four touchdown passes, and a passer rating of 156.8 in a dominant 48–27 victory to his second NFC Offensive Player of the Week nod of the season.[165][166]
In Week 7, Brees led a dramatic comeback victory on the road against the
Miami Dolphins, 46–34. The
Saints quickly faced a 24–3 deficit in the second quarter, trailing for the first time all season at that point, and failing to score on their first possession as they had in all of their previous contests. Brees had a poor outing, but provided two crucial rushing touchdowns, one just before halftime to narrow the deficit to 24–10, and one in the third quarter to give the Saints their first lead of the game, 37–34.[167]
The next week, Brees threw for 308 yards on 25 of 33 passing along with two touchdowns and one interception in leading the Saints to a 35–27 victory and franchise tying best start at 7–0 against the rival
Atlanta Falcons.[168] In week 9, Brees helped guide the team to a 30–20 victory over the
Carolina Panthers. This was Brees's first victory over the Carolina Panthers in the Superdome and gave the Saints their best ever start in franchise history at 8–0.[169] In Week 12, Brees led the Saints to an 11–0 record, defeating the
New England Patriots 38–17 on Monday Night Football. Brees totaled 371 yards passing, posting a
perfect passer rating of 158.3, and became the first player to throw for five touchdowns against a team coached by
Bill Belichick.[170] He earned his third NFC Offensive Player of the Week nod for the 2009 season.[171][172] After close victories over the
Washington Redskins and Falcons in successive weeks to start 13–0, Brees and the Saints lost for the first time that season to the
Dallas Cowboys, 24–17, after
DeMarcus Ware caused a Brees fumble in the final seconds, ending a fourth quarter rally.[173] The Saints lost their last two games, with Brees sitting out the Week 17 finale against the Carolina Panthers.[174] Their 13–3 record secured the #1 seed in the NFC.[175] The 13 regular season victories set a single-season franchise record for the Saints.[176]
In the
Divisional Round, Brees recorded 247 passing yards and three touchdowns as the Saints routed the
Arizona Cardinals 45–14. In the
NFC Championship, The Saints defeated the
Minnesota Vikings 31–28 in overtime to help the Saints advance to their first Super Bowl appearance in franchise history.[182] Brees completed 17 of 31 passes for 197 yards and three touchdowns.[183] The Saints defeated the
Indianapolis Colts 31–17 in
Super Bowl XLIV on February 7, 2010. Brees tied a Super Bowl record with 32 pass completions and won the
Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Award.[184] He threw for 288 yards and two touchdowns.[185] It was the first league championship in Saints franchise history.[186] Brees was named the 2010 Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year, both for his winning the Super Bowl and his charitable work towards the reconstruction of New Orleans.[187] On December 17, 2010, he was named AP Male Athlete of the Year. Within four short years after joining the Saints, Brees was more accurate in his throws than any of the Saints' past quarterbacks.[183] Brees and his teammates were welcomed back to New Orleans with a blues band along with thousands of celebrating fans.[183]
In the 2010 regular season, Brees passed for over 300 yards seven times and helped lead the Saints to a six-game winning streak late in the season.[188] The Saints qualified for the playoffs with a 11–5 record, but were eliminated in the
Wild Card Round by the
Seattle Seahawks by a score of 41–36 in the
Beast Quake game.[189] Brees finished with 404 passing yards and two passing touchdowns in the loss.[190] Brees was selected to his fifth Pro Bowl-fourth with the Saints.[191] Brees had a less successful season statistically, throwing a career-high 22 interceptions, tying the franchise record held by
Aaron Brooks, although he managed to throw for 4,620 yards and 33 touchdowns.[192] He was ranked ninth on the
NFL Top 100 Players of 2011 players' list.[193]
The
2011 season was a record-breaking season for Brees as he led the NFL in completion percentage, passing yards and passing touchdowns, which is known as the "Triple Crown".[194] He broke
Dan Marino's 27-year-old record for most passing yards in one season (5,084) in the 15th game of the season (week 16) against the
Atlanta Falcons at home in
New Orleans at the
Mercedes-Benz Superdome with a touchdown pass to
Darren Sproles. Brees also set a new Saints franchise record for passing touchdowns in a season with 46.[195]
In Week 2, during the Saints' home-opener, Brees defeated the
Chicago Bears for the first time in his career as a starting quarterback, leaving the
Baltimore Ravens as the only remaining NFL team which Brees had never beaten to that point.[196] On October 23, in a 62–7 victory over the
Indianapolis Colts, he was 31 of 35 for 325 passing yards and five touchdowns.[197] He earned NFC Offensive Player of the Week for his performance against the Colts.[198] On November 28, a Week 12 49–24 victory over the
New York Giants, he had 363 passing yards and four touchdowns to earn NFC Offensive Player of the Week.[199][200] In a home game on December 4 against the
Detroit Lions, Brees passed for 342 yards.[201] Brees's performance gave him 4,031 yards on the season, making him the first quarterback in NFL history to eclipse the 4,000-yard mark in the first 12 games of a season, and the first quarterback to reach four consecutive seasons with 4,000+ yards and 30+
touchdown passes. In Week 15, against the
Minnesota Vikings, Brees threw for 412 yards with five passing touchdowns. With that game, Brees became the first quarterback in NFL history to throw for five touchdowns, 400+ yards, while also maintaining a completion percentage of 80%, in a game.[202][203]
In Week 16, against the
Atlanta Falcons at the
Mercedes-Benz Superdome, Brees broke Dan Marino's longstanding record of passing yards in a single season of 5,084 with a nine-yard touchdown pass to
Darren Sproles with just under three minutes left in the fourth quarter of the game. He needed 305 yards to break the record entering the game and exceeded that mark with 307. He ended the game having thrown for 5,087 total passing yards for the regular season with one game remaining. With his second-quarter, eight-yard touchdown pass to
Marques Colston, Brees extended his streak of consecutive games with a touchdown pass to 42 games. Marino congratulated Brees via
Twitter after the game, saying "Congrats to @drewbrees. Great job by such a special player." Brees responded by tweeting, "Thanks to @DanMarino for his class and support during this run. It is an honor to attempt to follow the example he set for us all."[204][205] He earned his third and final NFC Offensive Player of the Week honor for the 2011 season with his performance against the Falcons.[206]
In Week 17, against the
Carolina Panthers, Brees closed out the season by setting six NFL records, finishing the year with 468 completions for 5,476 yards, edging out
Tom Brady of the
New England Patriots, who also surpassed Marino's record with 5,235 yards.[207] He earned NFC Offensive Player of the Month for December to close out the season.[208] Brees averaged 342.25 yards passing per game, which broke
Dan Fouts's record of 320.3 in a strike-shortened
1982 season.[209][210] In 2013,
Peyton Manning bested Brees's record by one passing yard, and finished the season with an NFL-record 5,477 passing yards, averaging 342.31 yards per game.[211] In the NFC
Wild Card Round, Brees passed for 466 yards and three passing touchdowns as the Saints defeated the
Detroit Lions by a score of 45–28.[212] At the time, Brees's 466 passing yards marked the second-most in a playoff game in NFL history. He did set the NFL record for passing yards in a regulation playoff game.[213] However, Brees and the Saints lost in the
Divisional Round to the
San Francisco 49ers by a score of 36–32 in a back-and-forth contest.[214] In the loss, Brees passed for 462 passing yards, four passing touchdowns, and two interceptions.[215] He was named to his sixth career Pro Bowl.[216] He was ranked as the second-best player in the league by his peers on the
NFL Top 100 Players of 2012.[217]
On July 13, the Saints and Brees agreed to a five-year, $100 million contract. The contract included the largest amount of guaranteed money in NFL history, at $60 million. $40 million of the contract was paid the first year.[218]
Due to the year-long suspension of head coach Sean Payton as a result of
Bountygate, Brees entered the season with a temporary head coach in the form of offensive line coach
Aaron Kromer, who was the Saints' coach for the first six games of the season while planned interim coach
Joe Vitt was serving a suspension of his own. After Week 8, Vitt took over head coaching responsibilities for the rest of the 2012 season.
Brees and the Saints started the season with a 0–4 record.[219] One highlight in that losing streak was in Week 4, when he passed for 446 yards and three touchdowns in a 28–27 loss to the
Green Bay Packers.[220] In Week 5, Brees threw a 40-yard touchdown pass to
Devery Henderson against his former team, the
San Diego Chargers. This was his 48th consecutive game with a touchdown pass. With that touchdown pass, Brees broke
Johnny Unitas's consecutive game streak with at least one touchdown pass, and Unitas' son Joe was present at the Superdome to witness his father's 52-year-old record being broken.[221]Sean Payton,
Joe Vitt and
Mickey Loomis, who were all serving suspensions due to the "
Bountygate" scandal, were granted permission to watch the Week 5 game against the
San Diego Chargers due to Brees potentially breaking Unitas' record.[222] Brees earned NFC Offensive Player of the Week for his 370-yard, four-touchdown, and one-interception effort against the Chargers.[223][224] Without their head coach, the Saints had lost their first four games but ended the losing streak with a 31–24 win over the Chargers.[225]
In the Week 13 game against the
Atlanta Falcons, Brees threw no touchdowns and a career-high five interceptions, ending his consecutive game streak with at least one touchdown pass at 54.[226] In Week 14, against the
New York Giants, Brees threw for 354 yards, giving him his seventh straight 4,000-yard passing season, surpassing
Peyton Manning's record of sixth straight seasons.[227] It was also his fifth straight season with at least 30 touchdown passes and 4,000 yards passing, also an NFL record. Brees managed to finish the 2012 season with 5,177 passing yards and 43 touchdowns despite having the worst defensive support in the NFL, whose 7,042 yards conceded was an all-time NFL record, and the team finished the season with a 7–9 record and missed the playoffs.[228][229]
Brees and the Saints started the 2013 season with a 5–0 record.[233] In that stretch was a Week 4 38–17 home victory over the
Miami Dolphins, where he had 413 passing yards and four touchdowns to earn NFC Offensive Player of the Week.[234][235] In Week 10, a 49–17 victory over the
Dallas Cowboys, he had 392 passing yards and four touchdowns to earn another NFC Offensive Player of the Week honor.[236][237] In Week 12, Brees passed
Warren Moon for fifth on the career passing yards list with 49,566.[238] During Week 14, Brees became the fastest player ever to join the 50,000-yard club and only the fifth player to do so.[239] He did it in 183 games, passing the 50,000 milestone on a pass to
Jimmy Graham in the fourth quarter of a 31–13 Saints win over the
Carolina Panthers on December 8, in which he threw four touchdowns.[240] In Week 17, a 42–17 victory over the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he had 381 passing yards and four touchdowns to earn his third NFC Offensive Player of the Week nod for the 2013 season.[241][242] Brees also extended his NFL record to a sixth straight season of at least 30 touchdown passes with 4,000 passing yards, his third straight 5,000-yard season, and his eighth straight 4,000-yard season.[243] For his successful performance in 2013, he was named to his eighth career Pro Bowl.[244] The Saints finished with an 11–5 record and narrowly defeated the
Philadelphia Eagles in the
Wild Card Round, but lost to the
Seattle Seahawks in the
Divisional Round, who went on to win
Super Bowl XLVIII.[245] He finished ranked sixth by his fellow players on the
NFL Top 100 Players of 2014.[246]
Brees admits that the 2014 season was his "most frustrating".[247] The Saints finished with a 7–9 record and missed the playoffs.[248] Brees' 2014 season began with a pair of games lost on game-ending field goals by the other team; in Week 1, the Saints lost 37–34 on the road to the
Atlanta Falcons in overtime and in Week 2, in a 26–24 road loss to the
Cleveland Browns, he moved into fourth place on the
career passing yardage list, ahead of
John Elway.[249][250][251] On October 19, in a road game against the
Detroit Lions, Brees became the NFL's all-time leader in completion percentage at 66.21%, surpassing
Chad Pennington.[252] On November 30, in a Week 13 35–32 road victory over the
Pittsburgh Steelers, he had 257 passing yards and five touchdowns to earn NFC Offensive Player of the Week, which was the 20th time in his career he has earned the award over his career in both the AFC with the Chargers and the NFC with the Saints.[253][254] In a Week 15 road game against the
Chicago Bears, he extended his streak to an NFL-record seventh straight season with at least 30 touchdown passes and nine straight seasons of 4,000 passing yards. However his streak of 5,000 passing yard seasons ended at three, as he passed for 4,952 yards, which was good enough to tie him with Steelers quarterback
Ben Roethlisberger for the most passing yards in the league that season. The occurrence marked the first time in NFL history that two players tied for the passing yards lead.[255][256] He was named to his seventh consecutive and ninth career Pro Bowl.[257] He was ranked 30th by his fellow players on the
NFL Top 100 Players of 2015.[258]
Brees and the Saints started the 2015 season with an 0–3 start with two of the losses being by one possession. On October 4, 2015, in Week 4, his 80-yard touchdown pass to
C. J. Spiller on the second play of overtime gave the Saints a 26–20 victory over the
Dallas Cowboys, and the team's first win of the season.[259] He earned NFC Offensive Player of the Week for his effort against the Cowboys.[260][261] The touchdown gave Brees 400 for his career, making him the fifth player in NFL history to reach the 400 touchdown milestone. Also, he became the fastest player ever to reach 400 touchdowns, doing so in 205 games.[262] Brees also completed his 5,000th pass with a touchdown to tight end
Josh Hill.[263][264] It was the quickest regular season overtime win in the history of the NFL at 13 seconds.[265]
On November 1, 2015, Brees tied the NFL record of touchdown passes in a game with seven during a 52–49 Saints win over the
New York Giants.[266] In that game, he completed 39-of-50 passes for 505 yards to record his second career game with at least 500 passing yards.[267] He became the second player in NFL history to have multiple 500-yard passing games.[268] He earned NFC Offensive Player of the Week for his historic performance against the New York Giants.[269]
In Week 12, his streak of 45 consecutive games with a touchdown pass ended in a 24–6 loss at
Houston.[270] Two weeks later, he surpassed
Dan Marino for fourth in career touchdown passes as the Saints beat the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers by a score of 24–17.[271] In Week 15, he became the fourth quarterback to reach the 60,000-yard milestone—in 215 games, the fastest ever—and had his 10th straight 4,000-yard season, plus his 94th 300-yard game, but the
Detroit Lions won 35–27. This put him first in most 300-yard games as Brees and
Manning had been tied at 93 games prior to that game.[272] A week later, his streak was extended to an eighth straight season with at least 30 touchdown passes, plus his 95th 300-yarder, all NFL records, against the
Jacksonville Jaguars.[273] With a Week 17 win over the
Atlanta Falcons, Brees finished the season with four straight 300-yard games, for a career record total of 96, and a season total 4,870 yards passing, leading the league in passing yards for a record sixth time despite missing one game due to an injury.[274] Despite the accomplishments on the field, the Saints finished with a 7–9 record and missed the playoffs.[275] He was ranked 30th by his fellow players on the
NFL Top 100 Players of 2016.[276]
In the Saints' 2016 season opener, Brees threw a career-high 98-yard touchdown pass to
Brandin Cooks in a narrow 35–34 home loss to the
Oakland Raiders.[277] He finished the game 28–of–42 for 423 yards and four touchdown passes.[277] His 400-yard performance tied him with Peyton Manning for the most 400-yard passing games in NFL history.[277][278] The next week, he passed
Dan Marino for third place in career passing yards in a loss to the
New York Giants.[279]
On October 16, in Week 6, Brees threw for 465 yards and four touchdown passes with one interception in a 41–38 home win over the
Carolina Panthers.[280] With this performance, Brees set an NFL record with the 15th 400-yard passing performance of his career.[281] Brees reached another milestone in the game, becoming the sixth player to record 50,000 passing yards with one team. The other five players are Peyton Manning (Indianapolis Colts),
Brett Favre (Green Bay Packers), Dan Marino (Miami Dolphins),
Tom Brady (New England Patriots), and
John Elway (Denver Broncos).[278]
In Week 7, Brees became the first player in NFL history with 100 games of 300+ passing yards, in a loss against the
Kansas City Chiefs on October 23.[282][283]
Brees finished the 2016 season leading the league in passing yards with 5,208, the second most of his career and the fifth 5,000-yard season of his career—more than all other 5,000-yard seasons combined (4).[286] He threw for 471 completions, breaking his NFL record of 468 set in 2011, and a career-high 673 attempts.[287] Brees finished third in touchdown passes with 37, the fourth most of his career. He finished second in completion percentage (70.0%),[288] making it the third time he has completed at least 70% of his passes in a season.[b] Despite his performance, for the third straight season, the Saints finished 7–9 and missed the playoffs.[289] He was named to his tenth career Pro Bowl for his 2016 season.[290] He was ranked 16th by his peers on the
NFL Top 100 Players of 2017.[291]
Brees and the Saints started the 2017 season with a 0–2 record before reeling off eight consecutive wins.[292] In Week 13, he passed
Peyton Manning for second place in career completions in a 31–21 victory over the Carolina Panthers.[293] On December 19, 2017, Brees was named to his 11th career Pro Bowl.[294] During Week 16 against the
Atlanta Falcons, Brees became the third player to amass over 70,000 passing yards in a career, doing so in an NFL fastest 248 games.[295] In that game he also earned his 12th straight 4,000-yard season and finished the game with 239 passing yards, a touchdown, and an interception as the Saints won 23–13.[296] Brees finished the 2017 season by setting a then-NFL record 72.0 completion percentage.[297] He also led the league in number of completions (386) and yards per pass attempt (8.1), and came in second in passer rating (103.9).[298]
The Saints finished with an 11–5 record, won the NFC South, and returned to the playoffs for the first time since the 2013 season.[299] In the
Wild Card Round against the
Carolina Panthers, he had 376 passing yards, two touchdowns, and one interception in the 31–26 victory.[300] In the
Divisional Round against the
Minnesota Vikings, he had 294 passing yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions in the
29–24 loss.[301][302] He was ranked eighth by his fellow players on the
NFL Top 100 Players of 2018.[303]
On March 13, 2018, Brees signed a two-year, $50 million contract extension with the Saints with $27 million guaranteed.[304]
In Week 1, Brees threw for more than 400 yards for a record 16th time in his career, but the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers won 48–40.[305] In Week 3, against the
Atlanta Falcons, Brees broke Brett Favre's record for career pass completions in the second quarter with his 6,301st career completion.[306] In that game, a 43–37 overtime Saints victory, Brees threw for 396 yards and three touchdowns, and also ran for two more scores, including the game-winner in overtime, earning him NFC Offensive Player of the Week.[307] In Week 5, on Monday Night Football against the
Washington Redskins, Brees surpassed Peyton Manning for the NFL's all-time passing yardage record with a 62-yard touchdown pass to
Tre'Quan Smith late in the second quarter.[308] He went on to complete 26 of 29 passes, setting a then career-high 89.66 single-game completion percentage, for 363 yards and three touchdowns in the 43–19 victory, earning him NFC Offensive Player of the Week for the second time in three weeks.[309] Following a bye week, Brees claimed his first career victory against the
Baltimore Ravens with a score of 24–23, making him the third quarterback in NFL history to beat all 32 teams, joining Peyton Manning and Brett Favre.[310] During this game, Brees also became the fourth quarterback in NFL history, along with Manning, Favre, and
Tom Brady, to reach 500 career touchdown passes when he threw a 1-yard touchdown to
Benjamin Watson.[311] After a season-low 120 yards and his first interception of the season in a win over the
Minnesota Vikings,[312] Brees logged 346 yards, four touchdowns, and zero interceptions to hand the
Rams their first loss of the season in Week 9.[313] In a Week 10 matchup against the
Cincinnati Bengals, Brees passed Brett Favre for second in career passing touchdowns with a 17-yard touchdown to
Michael Thomas in a 51–14 victory.[314] Brees was named the NFC Offensive Player of the Month for November passing for 16 touchdowns to two interceptions in that stretch.[315]
Brees finished the season with 364 completions, 489 attempts, 3,992 passing yards, 32 passing touchdowns and five interceptions over 15 games.[316] He sat out the season finale after the Saints had clinched the NFC's #1 seed the week prior.[317] He set an NFL record for completion percentage (74.4%), breaking his previous record (72.0%) set in
2017,[318] and led the league in passer rating (a career high of 115.7). However, with his 3,992 yards, his NFL record streak of 12 consecutive seasons with at least 4,000 passing yards came to an end.[319] He led the league with six fourth quarter comebacks and seven game-winning drives.[320]
In the
Divisional Round against the
Philadelphia Eagles, the Saints started badly, quickly falling into a 14–0 hole, but recovered and scored 20 unanswered points over the final three quarters to win and advance to their first
NFC Championship Game since their 2009 Super Bowl winning season. Brees completed 28 of 38 passes for 301 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception in the win.[321][322] In the
NFC Championship, Brees passed for 249 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception as the Saints lost 26–23 in overtime to the
Los Angeles Rams following a controversial missed pass interference call on a play that started at the Rams' 13-yard line with 1:49 left in regulation. If called, the penalty could have allowed the Saints to run out most of the clock, due to the Rams having only one timeout remaining, and try a go-ahead field goal that would have likely won the game for New Orleans.[323][324] Brees became the first and only player in NFL history to throw touchdown passes to 15 different players (of which nine were undrafted) in a single season, including the playoffs.[325] He finished second in the MVP voting to
Patrick Mahomes.[326] He was ranked as the second best player in the NFL by his peers on the
NFL Top 100 Players of 2019.[327]
In the first game of the season, a Monday Night Football match against the
Houston Texans, Brees threw for 370 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception as the Saints overcame a slow start to win 30–28.[328] In the Saints' Week 2 game against the
Los Angeles Rams, Brees suffered an injury to his right hand on a hit from
Aaron Donald which forced him out of the game.[329] The next day, an MRI revealed that Brees had suffered a torn ligament in the thumb of his right hand, which would require surgery and reportedly cause him to miss six to eight weeks.[330][331] Brees returned in Week 8 against the
Arizona Cardinals, finishing with 373 passing yards, three touchdowns, and an interception as the Saints won 31–9.[332] In Week 14, against the
San Francisco 49ers, Brees completed 29 of 40 passes for 349 yards, five touchdowns and no interceptions and scored a one-yard rushing touchdown, but his efforts were in vain as the Saints narrowly lost 48–46.[333] During Week 15 against the
Indianapolis Colts on Monday Night Football, Brees broke former Colts quarterback
Peyton Manning's record for most career touchdowns, throwing his 540th to
tight endJosh Hill on his career-best 20th straight completion in the third quarter.[334] Brees's record-breaking touchdown pass was his third touchdown pass on the night. He finished the game with four touchdowns and 304 yards as the Saints defeated the Colts by a 34–7 score.[335] In addition, Brees completed 29 of his 30 pass attempts for a career high and NFL single game record 96.7% completion percentage rate, surpassing the previous record (28 out of 29 passes for a 96.6% completion percentage rate) which had been set the previous year by his former Chargers teammate
Philip Rivers.[336] In the following week's game against the
Tennessee Titans, Brees threw for 279 yards and three touchdowns during the 38–28 win. During the game, Brees helped wide receiver
Michael Thomas break the single season receptions record formerly held by
Marvin Harrison with his 144th catch of the season.[337] Brees earned NFC Offensive Player of the Month for December.[338] In the 2019 season, Brees appeared in 11 games and finished with 2,979 passing yards, 27 touchdowns, and four interceptions.[339] He finished with a completion percentage of 74.34%, which finished second in NFL history to his record from the previous season.[340]
In the
Wild Card Round against the
Minnesota Vikings, Brees threw for 208 yards, one touchdown, and one interception during the 26–20 overtime loss. In the game, Brees helped lead the Saints on a late drive to set up a game-tying field goal on a seven-play drive to force the overtime period.[341] He earned his 13th career Pro Bowl nomination after Russell Wilson gave up his spot.[342] He was ranked 12th by his fellow players on the
NFL Top 100 Players of 2020.[343]
On March 17, 2020, Brees signed a two-year, $50 million contract extension with the Saints.[344]
In the Saints' regular-season opener against the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers and their new quarterback
Tom Brady, Brees completed 18 of 30 passes for 160 passing yards and two touchdowns, breaking
Brett Favre's record for most career pass attempts in the process, as the Saints won by a score of 34–23.[345] Following the Week 1 victory, Brees helped lead the Saints to a 5–2 stretch leading into a second matchup with Brady in Week 9. Against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday Night Football, he passed for 222 yards and four touchdowns in the 38–3 victory.[346] With the win over the Buccaneers, Brees defeated Brady head-to-head for the second time.[347]
On November 15, 2020, Brees left the Saints’ Week 10 game against the
San Francisco 49ers following the first half with a rib injury suffered on a sack attempt from
Kentavius Street.[348] Brees completed 8 of 13 passes for 76 yards and a touchdown before leaving the game.[349][350] The next day, it was revealed Brees had suffered multiple broken ribs and a collapsed lung from the hits he had taken during the game.[351][352] On November 20, 2020, Brees was placed on injured reserve, thereby ruling him out for at least the following three games.[353][354] After missing four games, Brees was activated on December 19, 2020,[355] for the Saints' Week 15 game against the
Kansas City Chiefs and threw for 234 yards, three touchdowns and one interception;[356] during the Saints' 32–29 loss, Brees surpassed former
Canadian Football League (CFL) quarterback
Anthony Calvillo for first place in career passing yards in any professional outdoor gridiron football league.[357] During the Saints' next game against the
Minnesota Vikings on
Christmas Day, Brees became the first quarterback in history to record 80,000 career passing yards as New Orleans won 52–33 to clinch a fourth straight NFC South title.[358] Overall, he finished the 2020 season with 2,942 passing yards, 24 touchdowns, and six interceptions in twelve games with the Saints finishing with a 12–4 record.[359]
In the
Wild Card Round against the
Chicago Bears, Brees threw for 265 yards and two touchdowns during the 21–9 win.[360] In the
Divisional Round against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Brees threw for 134 yards and a touchdown but also threw three interceptions in a 30–20 loss.[361]
On February 6, 2021, the Saints renegotiated Brees' contract, which reduced his salary down to $1.075 million for the upcoming season to save salary cap space.[362] On March 14, 2021, exactly 15 years to the day that Brees signed his first contract with the
New Orleans Saints, Brees announced his retirement after twenty seasons.[363] The Saints placed him on their reserve/retired list on June 11, 2021.[364]
Following his retirement from the NFL, Brees was hired by
NBC Sports to serve as the
color analyst for the network's Notre Dame games and on Football Night in America, working in the booth alongside play-by-play announcer
Mike Tirico.[375] He left after the season on May 15, 2022.[10]
Personal life
Brees married his college sweetheart Brittany Dudchenko in February 2003.[376] The couple have four children together: three sons born January 2009,[377] October 2010,[378] and August 2012,[379] and a daughter in August 2014.[380]
Brees moved to
New Orleans not long after the devastation of
Hurricane Katrina.[381] He admits that it was tough moving to a city that was still in shambles from the hurricane; however, he and Brittany immediately fell in love with the culture and "soul" of the city.[382] They purchased and renovated a home in
Uptown New Orleans, where they still live.[383] Brees admits in an interview that he thinks his family is now completed especially because three boys and one girl were always the couple's dream.[384] All four children were born in New Orleans and are being raised there.[384] The four priorities in Brees's life are faith, family, football, and philanthropy; otherwise known as the "four F's" by Brees.[17] Brees kept a home in San Diego until he sold the property in 2012.[385][386]
Brees is a
Baptist. Brees was raised as a Christian but stated that he became committed at age 17 when he was at church with a
torn ACL and was wondering who he was and what his purpose was in life.[20][18] Brees later faced other trials such as tearing the labrum in his shoulder in 2005; however, he maintains that these setbacks only strengthened his relationship with God.[17][387]
A birthmark on the right side of his face led to bullying when he was younger.[388]
Throughout his youth, Brees attended Camp Champions, a co-ed summer camp in Marble Falls, Texas, for eight summers. Brees was twice voted "Most Outstanding Camper" by his peers during his tenure at the camp.[389]
On July 6, 2010, Brees released his first book,[23] entitled Coming Back Stronger: Unleashing the Hidden Power of Adversity, co-authored by Chris Fabry.[390]Coming Back Stronger opened at number 3 on the nonfiction
bestseller list of The New York Times.[391][392]
Brees's mother, Mina Brees, died on August 7, 2009, at age 59, from a prescription drug overdose.[17] The death was ruled a suicide.[394] Brees was briefly excused from training camp for a "family matter".[395] In 2006, Brees described their relationship as "nonexistent" ever since he refused to hire his mother as his agent when he entered the NFL, saying that she undercut his dealings with other agents and tried to sell a book about him to Sports Illustrated without his knowledge, and later that year he told her to stop using his picture in TV commercials during her campaign for the Texas 3rd Court of Appeals.[396][397][398] After her death, Brees stated that this quote was three years old and that his relationship with his mother had been improving.[399] In his autobiography, released almost a year later, he wrote that their relationship had been on the mend[400] and that she had been looking forward to meeting his son, her first grandchild.
Brees wears #9 on his uniform in honor of late baseball player
Ted Williams.[402]
Brees is sometimes known by the nicknames "Breesus" by Saints fans[403][404][405] and "Cool Brees", which he acquired during his younger years for his calmness under pressure.[29][406]
On March 30, 2010, Brees became the national spokesperson for
AdvoCare International,[407] a
multi-level marketing company,[408] which produces weight management, nutritional supplement, and personal care products.
Brees owns a variety of restaurant businesses. In May 2015, he purchased a 25% stake in "Walk-On's Bistreaux & Bar", a sports bar that originated in Baton Rouge and is currently expanding their franchising into other Gulf Coast states. In 2019, he opened a Walk-On's restaurant in
Midland, Texas.[409] During initial talks with Walk-On's, Brees said that he was interested in bringing over some of the lessons that he had learned as a
Jimmy John's franchise owner. He currently owns nine Jimmy John's stores with a tenth under construction as of August 2019[update].[410][411] Carl Buergler, Jimmy John's director of operations, played football at Purdue with Brees.[412]
When Brees broke the NFL record for all-time passing yards, he sent a personalized football and letter to those players that helped him reach the milestone.[413]
Brees utilizes former Major League Baseball player and coach
Tom House as his mechanics coach.[414][415]
In 2019, Brees partnered with San Diego Surf Sports to help with the local youth sports scene in the San Diego area.[416]
Brees follows a strict diet, avoiding
gluten,
dairy, and
nuts due to food allergies. He also has a regimented daily exercise routine, focusing on
core strength exercises rather than heavy weight training.[417]
Brees was a
Republican, but later changed his party affiliation to Independent.[418]
On June 3, 2020, during the
George Floyd protests, Brees told
Yahoo Finance that he stood by his 2016 opinion that kneeling during the national anthem was disrespectful to the flag and to the US.[419][420] Several of his teammates and other professional athletes expressed disappointment and anger at the statement.[420] He apologized early the next day.[419][421]
In 2023, Brees revealed that he was unable to lift any part of his right arm over his shoulder anymore. He said that the condition is a result of the shoulder injury he suffered during his time with the Chargers.[422][423]
Charity and volunteer activities
In 2010, Sports Illustrated described Brees as "an athlete as adored and appreciated as any in an American city today".[424] When Sports Illustrated selected him for the 2010
Sportsman of the Year award, it said the award was "[f]or not only leading the New Orleans Saints to the first Super Bowl title in the franchise's history, but also for helping lead the city of New Orleans' rebirth after the tragedy of Hurricane Katrina". The fact that he and his family lived in New Orleans proper, instead of the suburbs like many players did, further endeared him to fans.[187][383]
Brees Dream Foundation
In 2003, Brees and his wife, Brittany, founded the Brees Dream Foundation to support cancer patients and research in memory of Brittany's aunt who died of cancer. Since Brees' move to New Orleans, the foundation has expanded to provide assistance for
Hurricane Katrina rebuilding projects. The foundation continues to fund and support various programs in
San Diego,
California, where Brees usually spends his offseasons, and
West Lafayette, Indiana, where the couple's
alma mater, Purdue, is located and where Brees returns to visit yearly.[425]
Brees and his foundation have been heavily involved in
Hurricane Katrina recovery.[426] Drew and Brittany's Brees Dream Foundation announced a partnership[427][428] in 2007 with international children's charity Operation Kids, to rebuild and restore and recreate academic and athletic facilities, parks, and playgrounds, after-school programs, mentoring programs for the intellectually disabled, neighborhood revitalization projects and child care facilities in
New Orleans. Brees also sponsors the Rebuilding Through Brotherhood program to invite fellow Sigma Chi members to the New Orleans community to build homes with the
Habitat for Humanity.[429]
In July 2020, Brees and his wife, Brittany, partnered with
Ochsner Health System and donated $5 million through the Brees Dream Foundation to help build numerous healthcare centers throughout Louisiana.[430][431]
To date, the Brees Dream Foundation has donated over $35 million to charitable causes worldwide.[432]
The Foundation was part of a joint initiative with BuildStrong and the Home Builders Institute to create the BuildStrong Academy. The academy offers students an opportunity to enhance their skills in the construction industry.[433]
Other activities
Brees has been on multiple
USO tours throughout his career. In late June 2009, he visited the
Guantanamo Bay detention camp. Following his return, Brees was quoted as stating that Guantanamo captives were being treated ten times better than convicts in U.S. prisons.[434][435][436][437]
In February 2008, Brees signed a promotional deal with
Chili's Grill & Bar to promote the chain's new line of hamburgers.[438] The promotion helped raise money for charity. In June 2008, Brees participated in the Pro Sports Team Challenge, a competition for professional athletes to help raise money for charities. The charity Brees played for was Operation Kids.[439]
On February 18, 2007, Brees was honored by the
Krewe of Bacchus, a New Orleans
Mardi Gras parade organization, as the 2007 Grand Marshal of the Bacchus parade.[440] Brees presided as Bacchus XLII for the 2010 parade on February 14, 2010, one week after the Super Bowl during Mardi Gras season.[441]
In October 2010, Brees appeared in an
It Gets Better video, in which he gave an anti-bullying message in the wake of a series of suicides committed by gay teenagers.[444]
In April 2018, Brees filed a lawsuit against a San Diego jeweler. The lawsuit claims Brees and his wife paid $15 million for investment-grade diamonds that an independent appraiser valued at only $6 million.[445][446] On June 21, 2019, Brees was awarded $6 million in the lawsuit.[447]
In March 2019, Brees partnered with Brandon Landry, co-founder of Walk-On's, launching a new restaurant.[448]
^"News at 10 P.M.".
WWL-TV. November 3, 2009. Drew also told Juan [Kincaid] that the correct pronunciation of his last name is "breece", not "breeze". He says the mispronunciation caught on in middle school, and rather than fight it he just went with it.
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Previously named the Byron "Whizzer" White NFL Man of the Year Award, after Byron "Whizzer" White, the award was renamed in the fall of 2018 in honor of Alan Page.