Tag: Drew Brees

Drew Brees announces scholarship in honor of retiring Eagles center Jason Kelce

Drew Brees announced a scholarship in honor of retiring Eagles center Jason Kelce aimed at supporting walk-on college athletes:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C4OFVH2rcm_

Drew Brees continues to do great deeds off the field. The former New Orleans Saints great has announced a scholarship honoring Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce, who started his college career as a walk-on at Cincinnati. Kelce announced his retirement last week after 13 seasons.

Brees shared the big news on social media, saying the scholarship will be awarded to 13 walk-on collegiate athletes. These scholarships will be given out on behalf of Walk-On’s Bistreaux, a restaurant chain of which Brees is the co-owner.

“These scholarships represent more than just financial aid. They’re a salute to the relentless spirit and unwavering dedication that drives athletes to excel, mirroring the qualities that Jason Kelce showcased throughout his career,” Brees said during his announcement.

Kelce steps away from the game as one of the most decorated offensive linemen of his generation. He earned seven Pro Bowl nominations, six first-team All-Pro selections and a Super Bowl championship. To say the least, a very accomplished career for the former walk-on.

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Sean Payton starting the same rebuild in Denver he tried to dodge in New Orleans

The Broncos will be cutting Russell Wilson, meaning Sean Payton has entered the same rebuild in Denver he dodged in leaving New Orleans:

The Denver Broncos will be cutting Russell Wilson at the start of the new league year on March 13, meaning Sean Payton has entered the same rebuild situation he tried to avoid in leaving the New Orleans Saints: a team without a starting quarterback fans can believe in that’s saddled with more dead money than any of its peers.

Good luck to him. Payton without Drew Brees is beginning to look a lot like Bill Belichick without Tom Brady. Belichick’s record as a head coach without Brady was 82-98, a winning percentage of .455. By comparison, Payton has gone 25-21 (.543) in games he’s coached without Brees under center. So he’s not quite there, but he’s trending in the wrong direction after limping to an 8-9 finish with the Broncos last year.

Now, we should be honest: all reporting has said Payton was open to returning to the Saints after his one-year sabbatical in 2022, having felt burnt out after two very difficult seasons at the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. If he’d returned, maybe he would have brought Teddy Bridgewater in to compete with Jameis Winston for the starting job, or taken things in another direction. But the Saints had moved on and felt there was no going back.

Either way, Payton must now tackle the challenge he avoided in splitting with New Orleans. He needs to find a real quarterback who can execute his offense and compete for a division title in the AFC West, where Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs have won it eight years in a row. And he’ll be attempting it under very real salary cap restraints. It’s a similar situation to where he left the Saints after Brees hung up his cleats but he’s facing a steeper degree of difficulty with a powerhouse rival in the division.

So, again: good luck to him. He’s going to need it. Meanwhile, the Saints have their own problems with a head coach who has won fewer games in his career than Payton won in games without Brees — Dennis Allen, who is 24-46 during his time with the Saints and Raiders. The two coaches will go head-to-head when the Broncos visit the Caesars Superdome during the 2024 season.

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Jac Collinsworth one of top sports broadcasting flops of past decade

Who thought it would have turned out this badly?

Now that Jac Collinsworth is out as Notre Dame play-by-play announcer for NBC, the postmortem on his tenure can begin. In two seasons calling the Irish, Collinsworth was widely panned by viewers both within and outside the fan base. It was almost like NBC had planned him to fail in this role.

In any case, Awful Announcing has pulled no punches regarding Collinsworth. With his dismissal from Irish broadcasts, the sports media site has named his time doing them one of the biggest sports broadcasting flops of the past decade. The list also includes Drew Brees, who lasted only one season as the Notre Dame color commentator before leaving NBC and sports broadcasting altogether.

The good news for Irish fans is that a familiar voice in Dan Hicks will be back on the broadcasts, and he at least has plenty of experience on his resume. Maybe with a little more seasoning, Collinsworth can work his way back into his now-former role in the distant future. For now though, Irish home broadcasts can be enjoyable again.

Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Geoffrey on Twitter: @gfclark89

Ranking the 11 best Super Bowl starting quarterbacks of the 21st century

Here are our rankings of the best Super Bowl QBs this century, especially the obvious name at the top.

There is no bigger stage for a quarterback than the Super Bowl. Sure, it is also a moment of awe and wonder for everyone else on an NFL team, but the fame and recognition that comes with being a Super Bowl quarterback is unmatched in the American sports landscape.

First and foremost, it is this position’s time to shine. Provided you don’t completely come apart at the seams, if you’re a starting quarterback in a Super Bowl, you likely become a legend for life. Full stop.

This got me thinking, as the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers get ready to square off at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Sunday…

Who are the most memorable Super Bowl starting quarterbacks this century? Who are the game’s titans who introduced themselves to roughly 100 million people every February?

Let’s break down the top Super Bowl quarterbacks of the 21st century, with an obvious selection at the top.

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Look: Las Vegas Sphere displays Saints’ Super Bowl XLIV championship ring

Look: Las Vegas Sphere displays Saints’ Super Bowl XLIV championship ring

Now this is cool: there are few marvels of modern engineering that can compare to the Sphere in Las Vegas, an entertainment venue that offers immersive visuals inside and a massive light show on its exterior. Often used for promoting events in Las Vegas, this week the Sphere carried visuals celebrating Super Bowl LVIII matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers — while celebrating all 57 championship games which preceded it.

That includes the New Orleans Saints’ win in Super Bowl XLIV. On Thursday night the Sphere displayed blown-up images of all 57 Super Bowl rings, but none looked as good as the Saints’ diamond-gilded fleur-de-lis. See for yourself:

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Jahri Evans passed over for Hall of Fame induction in the Class of 2024

Jahri Evans was passed over for Hall of Fame induction in the Class of 2024. Having to wait longer is disappointing, but the payoff could make it easier to accept:

We’ll start with the bad news. The Pro Football Hall of Fame will not induct Jahri Evans in its Class of 2024 — the New Orleans Saints legend was passed over in favor of other deserving players, including several who had to wait longer than they should have for enshrinement. Evans will have to wait at least one more year to earn his bronze bust and gold jacket in Canton.

Now the good news. It’s disappointing that Evans has to wait a while longer for such powerful recognition, but the payoff might be worth it. If he’s inducted in the Class of 2025 (which seems likely; he was a semifinalist in his first year of eligibility before progressing to the finalist stage in his second turn) then Evans will earn the nod in the same year, and a few days before, Super Bowl LIX is played at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans. That would be a fine occasion.

And if not? If Evans’ case lingers in discussion another year, drawing out into 2026, he could go into the Hall of Fame with his legendary quarterback. Drew Brees will be eligible to enter the Hall of Fame for the first time in 2026 which would be Evans’ fourth year of eligibility. He’s a surefire first-ballot Hall of Famer, and getting him and his best blocker in together would be awful special.

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Where ESPN ranked the 2009 Saints among 57 Super Bowl-winning teams

Did ESPN get it right? Where they ranked the 2009 Saints among 57 Super Bowl-winning teams:

Where do you rank the New Orleans Saints’ Super Bowl XLIV-winning squad among the greatest teams of all time? Or at least, among the NFL’s other 57 champions?

That’s a question that ESPN writer Aaron Schatz set out to answer. Using his advanced-stat DVOA ratings (which you can read more about here), Schatz estimated the play-by-play efficiency for every team to win a Super Bowl.

And his findings have the 2009 Saints at No. 32. New Orleans fielded a high-powered offense and an opportunistic defense that year, outscoring the next-best team by 40 points (at 510, far above the second-place Minnesota Vikings at 470) and nearly tying the league lead with 39 takeaways (the Green Bay Packers had 40).

The Saints achieved a level of dominance that season that’s only rarely seen. We’ll let Schatz explain it further:

The Saints led the NFL in DVOA after a 13-0 start but fell to sixth because of a three-game losing streak to finish off the regular season. (Their starters played in the first two of those three losses, but not the third.) The Saints were second on offense, narrowly behind the Patriots, but 13th on defense and 28th on special teams.

Their DVOA moves up nicely thanks to some big playoff victories. They dominated Arizona 45-14 in the divisional round. The NFC championship required overtime and a Brett Favre interception for a 31-28 victory over the Vikings. But then the Saints beat the Colts 31-17 in Super Bowl XLIV, capped off by a Tracy Porter pick-six off Peyton Manning.

It’s disappointing that the 2009 Saints were not ranked higher, but the numbers back it u p. They allowed the 12th-most yards per play that season on defense. No team gave up more yards per punt return (14.3) and they were fourth-worst in yards per kick return (24.5). But they made up for it with an offense that few teams could match and, critically, key stops on defense with sacks and turnovers.

That may have been a difficult strategy to sustain, but it took the Saints all the way to the Super Bowl. And when the chips were down, that same hungry defense sealed the win with one of the most memorable plays in franchise history. And we shouldn’t overlook the benefits of having a Hall of Fame quarterback in the prime of his career leading the way, either.

Now, what’s frustrating — and we’re twisting the knife here, so stop reading if you are not in the right headspace to receive information that could possibly hurt you — is how low Schatz ranked some of the teams that won the Super Bowl in years that got away from New Orleans. The 2011 New York Giants, who advanced on a miracle overtime run over the San Francisco 49ers (and who lost to the Saints in a regular season blowout) clocked in at No. 56 out of 57 Super Bowl winners. If Gregg Williams’ defense had held up against the 49ers in the final minutes of their divisional round classic, Drew Brees might have two Super Bowl rings.

Heck, he could have had three. The 2018 Patriots knocked out the Los Angeles Rams to win a championship after L.A. got through with a lot of help from a botched officiating decision in New Orleans in the conference title game. New England won that title in the lowest-scoring Super Bowl in the history of the sport. Schatz ranked them all the way down at No. 48 in this list. That’s a matchup they could have handled better than the Rams, who lost in a pathetic effort 13-3. Ah well.

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Mickey Loomis shoots down rumor, says he isn’t stepping down as GM

Mickey Loomis shoots down rumor, says he isn’t stepping down or changing his title as Saints general manager and executive vice president:

Forget what you read on social media: Mickey Loomis isn’t going anywhere. The New Orleans Saints general manager and executive vice president was asked about a rumor going around in fan communities online that he would be moving to a different role in the organization, freeing up one of his top assistants to succeed him as general manager.

And Loomis dismissed it as just that: a rumor.

“Somebody just made that up,” Loomis said. “That’s never been discussed or talked about.”

Loomis added that he could wake up one day and feel differently about his place in the organization, but as of now the course is set. He’ll remain in place as the team’s top decision-maker both in title and in practice.

That’s all happening in the wake of interview requests from other teams hoping to poach talent from the Saints’ front office. Loomis acknowledged that assistant general managers Khai Harley and Jeff Ireland were sought out by the Carolina Panthers and Los Angeles Chargers, respectively, and he added that pro personnel director Michael Parenton is someone else he regards highly within their organization. Harley manages the salary cap, and Ireland covers the college scouting department, and there’s a chance both of them leave town in the near future.

That would be a mistake. Loomis might be the longest-tenured general manager in the league but he doesn’t have much to show for it without Sean Payton and Drew Brees. His Saints teams have gone a combined 44-54 from 2002 to 2005 and 2022 to 2023, before and after Payton was leading them. A lot was made of Loomis guiding the Saints to 200-plus career wins this season but Payton takes credit for 152 of them (and Super Bowl XLIV).

Losing talented executives like Ireland and Harley to protect Loomis’ job security is, well, laughable. But Loomis was all laughs at his end-of-year press conference on Wednesday. He isn’t going anywhere until he’s good and ready, and he took this opportunity to remind everyone watching that he’s in control here. Ownership won’t force him out, and he isn’t about to give up his title to benefit someone else. He wants to prove he can win without Payton. If that means standing by a coach like Dennis Allen, well — good luck.

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Michael Thomas shares a pointed criticism on social media

Michael Thomas shared a pointed criticism on social media, calling out those who accept mediocrity over high achievers:

Michael Thomas shared a message carrying pointed criticism on social media Tuesday morning, in posts on both Instagram and the platform formerly known as Twitter (currently X) that sure seem to be aimed at the New Orleans Saints.

“People who accept mediocrity don’t like high achievers and high achievers don’t like people who accept mediocrity,” Thomas wrote. “If you are going to talk about setting the bar you must be willing to hold the bar.”

Now, that could mean anything. But it’s tough to read it as anything but criticism of head coach Dennis Allen and Saints quarterback Derek Carr, as well as general manager Mickey Loomis for standing behind both of them. Carr struggled through the first three months of the 2023 season but was repeatedly defended by his coach and GM, which reportedly rankled other players in the locker room.

And low standards have been the story of the Saints as of late. They’ve missed the playoffs in each of the first two years with Allen as head coach despite facing the easiest schedule in the NFL. They barely won nine games this season, Allen’s first winning season in five years a head coach. At a time when better coaches like Mike Vrabel, Pete Carroll, and Bill Belichick are getting shown the door, Loomis appears committed to standing by Allen. Carr has never won a playoff game after a decade in the NFL. Allen has lost 46 of his 70 games as a head coach. By all accounts the Saints plan to run it back with both of them.

That has to be frustrating for highly competitive pros in the locker room like Thomas. He knows what high standards look like, having seen them firsthand while working hard to break NFL records with Drew Brees and Sean Payton early in his career. That winning culture has deteriorated over time, and Allen’s poor influence on the locker room has openly set it to rot.

Thomas was a key figure in recruiting Carr to New Orleans, so you have to imagine there’s some sort of buyer’s remorse at play when the quarterback didn’t meet expectations for much of the season — particularly in getting the ball to Thomas, hesitating to throw passes on the quick in-breaking routes that Thomas thrives with. The Saints did structure their last extension with Thomas so that there’s an option for him to return in 2024, but if the choice is Thomas or Allen and Carr, well: we might have seen the last of No. 13.

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Demario Davis approaching rare territory with fifth straight All-Pro nod

Demario Davis is approaching rare territory with his fifth straight All-Pro nod. He’s joined a small group of Saints players who went on to the Pro Football Hall of Fame:

Just five players in New Orleans Saints history have earned five placements on the All-Pro teams from the Associated Press, and now Demario Davis is one of them. The veteran linebacker was recognized as an All-Pro for the fifth year in a row on Friday, his fourth appearance on the second team. He started this run by making the cut for the All-Pro first team back in 2019.

And of the other four Saints players to achieve this distinction, two are already in the Pro Football Hall of Fame: outside linebacker Rickey Jackson and left tackle Willie Roaf. A third, right guard Jahri Evans, is a finalist in this year’s class and is waiting for word on whether or not he’ll be chosen for induction in just a few weeks. The remaining member of this group, all-time great quarterback Drew Brees, is expected to be a first-ballot Hall of Famer once he’s eligible in 2026.

Here’s how they compare in All-Pro appearances while with the Saints:

  • Rickey Jackson: Five years on the second team
  • Willie Roaf: Two years on the first team, three on the second team
  • Jahri Evans: Four years on the first team, once on the second team
  • Drew Brees: One year on the first team, four on the second team
  • Demario Davis: One year on the first team, four on the second team

Does this mean Davis is on his way to the Hall of Fame as well? Maybe so, maybe not. It’s tough to say. Jackson and Roaf each accomplished more with other teams, whether that’s earning Pro Bowl recognition, more All-Pro attention, or having won a Super Bowl. Davis doesn’t have the same number of Pro Bowls and first-team All-Pro awards (that distinction between the first and second teams matters), though his longevity is impressive. And there are other considerations like records set, stats met, and titles won.

Still, Davis is securely one of the greatest players in franchise history. He’s the best free agent signing the team has ever made — after Brees, of course. It’s a shame that popularity contests like the Pro Bowl factor in so heavily to Hall of Fame resumes, but that doesn’t diminish what Davis has achieved with the Saints in recent years while leading one of the league’s best defenses. Whether he’s bound for the Hall of Fame someday or not, the Saints are very fortunate to have him.

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