Tag: Drew Brees

Drew Brees chimes in on Bo Nix, says QB’s confidence is at another level

“His confidence level was just at another level,” Drew Brees said of Bo Nix’s performance against the Falcons on Sunday.

Denver Broncos rookie quarterback Bo Nix has been turning heads with his play in recent weeks, and former New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees recently weighed in on the rookie’s rise.

During an appearance on The Herd with Colin Cowherd on Monday, Brees noted that Nix’s big game against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday was actually set up by a loss last week.

“The biggest thing for Bo Nix is what happened last week against the Kansas City Chiefs,” Brees told Cowherd. “Even though they lost that game, it certainly was through no fault of his own. He put his team in a position to go win that game in the end and they got the field goal block. But from a confidence perspective, you basically went into Arrowhead and playing against the gold standard of organizations here over the last few years and you put your team in position to go win that game. So I think coming into this game, I think his confidence level was just at another level.”

Brees went on to praise Nix for making plays without having elite weapons around him, and he noted that the rookie has a great coach and playcaller in Sean Payton (who coached Brees in New Orleans).

Nix is certainly trending in the right direction, and getting praise from a future Hall of Famer will only increase the QB’s stock going forward.

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Saints legends present for Jahri Evans’ Ring of Honor ceremony

Drew Brees, Carl Nicks and Jermon Bushrod were some of the Saints legends in the building for Jahri Evans’ Ring of Honor enshrinement:

Jahri Evans is entering the New Orleans Saints Ring of Honor when the team takes on the Cleveland Browns. Evans is one of the greatest offensive linemen in team history, and could be on his way to being immortalized in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Evans was a part of that historic 2006 draft class and played an integral part in the Saints’ Super Bowl run. To celebrate his enshrinement, a few players from that Super Bowl team are in attendance. It was also the annual “Legends Weekend” for former Saints players, so many of them were in the building, too.

Drew Brees, Carl Nicks and Jermon Bushrod were all on the sidelines ahead of Sunday’s matchup. The trio of Bushrod, Evans and Nicks played a big part in protecting Drew Brees through his early run in New Orleans. Evans and Nicks were particularly important on the interior due to Brees’ height.

The quartet spent four years together from 2008 to 2011. The group has now reunited to celebrate Evans being remembered forever in Saints history.

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Jameis Winston reflects on how his time in New Orleans impacted him

Jameis Winston spent four years in New Orleans, and he said the city helped him during “that transitional period in my life”

Jameis Winston expressed nothing but love for the city of New Orleans and the Saints as he makes his return as a member of the Cleveland Browns.

Everyone who plays for the Saints doesn’t get chosen by the city when the jersey is off. Winston was one of those players. “The people in New Orleans, I really love them. They really helped that transitional period in my life.”

Winston did start for New Orleans at one point, but he came to New Orleans as a backup to Drew Brees. To be a former first overall pick and not get a starting job requires one to swallow his pride. Winston did that to study under Sean Payton knowing Brees was the starter.

He came to New Orleans to hone his craft. When he did become the starter his time was cut way too short. Through it all he says his “teammates encouraged me, they pushed me.”

It’s clear his time in New Orleans holds a special place in his heart on and off the field.

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Tyrann Mathieu and Drew Brees probably wouldn’t agree on his favorite INT

Tyrann Mathieu and Drew Brees probably wouldn’t agree on his favorite INT. Mathieu’s takeaway in his 2013 homecoming stands the test of time:

It’s no secret that Tyrann Mathieu is a special talent. The New Orleans Saints safety returned home to close out his illustrious NFL career, and while Mathieu’s 2024 season hast had more low moments than he’s comfortable with, the highlights stand up with the best plays throughout his career.

He’s still making history. Mathieu is tied with his old college teammate Patrick Peterson for the most interceptions among all active NFL players (36). So which one was his favorite?

“I hate to say it but it’d have to be my rookie season, playing against Drew Brees in the Superdome,” Mathieu grinned. “And we got beat bad that day  but I had a good game. And I got to walk l away with one of the most prized possessions of anybody’s life, and that’s a Drew Brees football. So I always remember that one.”

Mathieu played the Saints just three games into his pro career back in 2013, and while his Arizona Cardinals fell 31-7, he did finish the day with 10 tackles (9 solo), on top of that interception. That was a season-high for his rookie year, and clearly a memorable game in his NFL story.

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Drew Brees on keeping playmakers like Michael Thomas engaged in games

Drew Brees joined ESPN’s Monday Night Countdown set and shared his experience in engaging hungry playmakers — like Michael Thomas:

Legendary former New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees joined ESPN’s pregame set for Monday Night Countdown before kickoff between the Miami Dolphins and Los Angeles Rams, and a key point of discussion was the trouble offenses loaded with weapons like Miami experienced in spreading the ball around.

Tyreek Hill. Jaylen Waddle. De’Von Achane. Raheem  Mostert and Jaylen Wright. Those are just some of the playmakers clamoring for touches. And Brees knows a thing or two about keeping his superstars happy. He and Michael Thomas made a lot of history together with the Saints, and he shared some insight into managing that relationship with a player who has drawn so much attention — both from opposing defenses and spectators on social media.

“Look you’re always thinking matchups. And you’re always thinking we’ve got a lot of mouths to feed, how are we going to get all these guys opportunities, especially early in the game,” Brees said on the pregame show. He pointed to how opening scripts would set up the defense to tip their hand  and show who they’re focused on taking away, at which point he and the offense could counter.

It’s just an approach that took a lot of patience. Brees continued: “And a lot of times I’d come to the sideline after Drive 1, Drive 2, and I’d look at Mike Thomas and be like ‘Hey Mike T, stay patient. Alright? They’re going to be doubling you here for a while. Alright? Young bucks, alright, you guys are going to get the ball, you’re going to get the opportunities when we’re start to make them pay here, Mike T you’re going to get your opportunities.'”

Managing that relationship was something Derek Carr struggled with after taking the reins from Brees, which led to a messy divorce between Thomas and the Saints that has repeatedly spilled out onto social media. Thomas has joined dissatisfied fans in calling for Carr’s job, and when one of Brees’ co-hosts brought that up, he gamely laughed it off.

It’s a shame things have taken such a turn for Thomas and the Saints. But if teams like the Dolphins are going to get where Brees and New Orleans have gone (Miami hasn’t won a playoff game since before Brees was drafted by the San Diego Chargers way back in 2001), they’ll need to do more to follow in his footsteps. That’s true for Carr and the modern-day Saints, too.

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Drew Brees to join ESPN’s Monday Night Countdown

Drew Brees will be a part of ESPN’s Monday Night Countdown for the upcoming matchup between the Miami Dolphins and the Los Angeles Rams:

Drew Brees will be a part of ESPN’s Monday Night Countdown for the upcoming matchup between the Miami Dolphins and the Los Angeles Rams, as was originally reported by Andrew Marchand via SubStack.

“ESPN wanted Brees before he ended up on NBC,” Marchand wrote. “Right now, Brees to ESPN full-time is not a thing, but, if he does well, I could see maybe developing into something.”

This could — or could not — indicate a return to broadcasting for Brees. It has been a long time since we have seen him in this capacity with his last major appearance occurring when he called the Wild Card game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Las Vegas Raiders in 2022.

He did that game for NBC with Mike Tirico up in the booth. The former Saints quarterback didn’t exactly perform up to standard and was met with plenty of public criticism for his performance, which hardly compared to what he was able to do on the football field.

That’s not exactly an anomaly, though, considering other highly noted players turned broadcasters like the legendary Tom Brady initially struggled when making the transition.

Whether or not Brees gets a handle here and pursues this career in full capacity will be something to watch.

The Dolphins and the Rams are set to kick off at 8:15 p.m. ET on Monday evening in SoFi Stadium.

Mickey Loomis has a terrible record without Drew Brees and Sean Payton

Mickey Loomis wanted everyone to know who was really responsible for the Saints’ success after Sean Payton left. Now, there’s no question about it:

Mickey Loomis wanted everyone to know who was really responsible for the New Orleans Saints’ success after Drew Brees retired and Sean Payton stepped away to pursue other jobs. Now, after Loomis picked Dennis Allen and the team ran into the ground, there’s no question about it. Payton soundly beating his successor in prime time only illustrates that point.

Before hiring Allen, the teams Loomis built without Payton had a record of 28-36 (a winning percentage of .438). Now, after Allen’s 18-25 run, Loomis has a record of 46-61 (.430) when Payton wasn’t coaching his team. That doesn’t count the 2012 season in which both Payton and Loomis were suspended, but that year’s 7-9 finish wouldn’t really help his case, either (putting Loomis at 53-70 without Payton, or .431).

Maybe things would have gone differently had Loomis hired someone who didn’t already have an 8-28 record as a head coach to replace the winningest coach in team history. Maybe this team’s foundation was just weaker than he thought. Either way, what matters now is whether the Saints can dig themselves out of this hole. And whether Loomis is the right man to oversee that job.

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Drew Brees compares Spencer Rattler to another rookie QB

Drew Brees recently shared his thoughts on Spencer Rattler, who he compared to another rookie quarterback. Brees sees some similarities with Bo Nix:

The Saints haven’t had nearly the success at quarterback to be desired since the retirement of legendary signal-caller Drew Brees, and only ahead of the loss to the Panthers did New Orleans get its starter back.

Before veteran Derek Carr was able to return to the field after missing weeks of action due to injury, the team leaned into rookie quarterback Spencer Rattler.

Brees recently weighed in on Rattler, also comparing him in some ways to Denver quarterback Bo Nix.

“It’s interesting to see the two offenses – the Saints and the Broncos – with Klint Kubiak and Sean Payton,” Brees said in an interview with RG.org.

“I think there’s a lot of similarities between Spencer Rattler and Bo Nix. They’re both really athletic guys. The Saints were under center a lot more. I think that’s how they set up their run game and their play action. Spencer Rattler was on the move so much, throws the ball and runs very well – very similar to Bo. I think where both of those guys will need to make strides – just as any young player – is in the drawback passing game.”

Rattler finished out his most recent appearance, the 26-8 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers in which he was benched, 12 for 24 passing for 156 yards. While he has had his bright moments, the former Oklahoma and South Carolina quarterback has had a rough go of it in his first year in the NFL.

It will be interesting to watch what the Saints do at backup quarterback moving forward, especially in the event that Carr is to go down again this season, but there’s no question that Rattler was put in a tough situation when he was unexpectedly thrown into the fire like this.

Regardless, the Saints’ main focus right now is on the big picture, and that starts with snapping a seven-game losing streak. New Orleans will attempt to take their first hack at that when the Atlanta Falcons head to to New Orleans next Sunday.

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Chargers beat the Saints for first time since Drew Brees was their QB

This hasn’t happened in 20 years. The last time the Chargers beat the Saints, Drew Brees was their quarterback:

This hasn’t happened in 20 years. The last time the Los Angeles Chargers beat the New Orleans Saints, Drew Brees was their quarterback. But that feat repeated itself on Sunday when Justin Herbert quarterbacked the Chargers to a 26-8 win. The Saints fell to 2-6 on the season after benching rookie quarterback Spencer Rattler in hopes that Jake Haener could provide a spark. New Orleans still lost 26-8.

So what happened last time on Nov. 6, 2004? Brees outdueled Aaron Brooks in a 43-17 romp, throwing four touchdown passes (three of them to star tight end Antonio Gates). Deuce McAllister led the Saints with 63 rushing yards and kept the team in the game with an early touchdown run of his own, but he couldn’t do it all himself.

Of course things took a surprising turn in the years to follow. Brees suffered  a career-threatening shoulder injury and was let go into free agency, where the Saints signed him.  A few years after that McAllister led the team out of the tunnel in their bid to win Super Bowl XLIV. The rest is history. The Saints won four in a row against the Chargers including an overtime victory in 2020.

And it’s all behind us, now. What matters most is that the Saints can’t get out of their own way and end this losing streak. They don’t have a quarterback like Brees on the roster anymore, though the Chargers have something special in Justin Herbert. If New Orleans can’t get back in the win column soon, these memories will be all they have.

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Drew Brees picked Sean Payton’s return game for Saints Hall of Fame honor

Drew Brees wanted to be added to the Saints Hall of Fame on the night that Sean Payton returned to New Orleans.

When the New Orleans Saints announced earlier this year that Drew Brees was being added to their Hall of Fame, the quarterback was given the choice of picking the game that he would be honored during the 2024 season.

Brees picked a Thursday Night Football game against the Denver Broncos, which marked coach Sean Payton’s return to New Orleans.

Before the game on Thursday, Payton surprised Brees at the QB’s Hall of Fame ceremony in the afternoon. Brees was then honored at halftime of the game in the stadium.

“When the schedule came out, it was the night that he wanted to come in,” Payton said after a 33-10 Broncos win. “They have the Saints Hall of Fame and then they have the Ring of Honor. He was being put in the Hall of Fame. It was good to see him.

“A few of us went over really quick to the Hilton and just thanked him. We were all kind of underdressed in our travel sweats. This is a city that dresses up a lot. It is always good to see him. I feel like I see him quite a bit. He has been to our practices. Anytime you see that whole group even pre-game yapping at us was fun.”

Brees, 45, will be eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2026.

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