History of Drew Brees in Timeline

Drew Brees is a retired American football quarterback who played in the NFL for 20 seasons, primarily with the New Orleans Saints. He is considered one of the greatest quarterbacks ever, holding numerous records including consecutive games with a touchdown pass, and ranking among the top in career passing yards, touchdown passes, and pass completions. Brees was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2024.

Sections (5)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles

1967: Last Big Ten Championship

Drew Brees led the Boilermakers to their first Big Ten championship since 1967.

1972: Uncle's Football Career Begins

From 1972 to 1975, Drew Brees's maternal uncle, Marty Akins, was an All-American starting quarterback for the Texas Longhorns college football team.

1975: Uncle's Football Career Ends

From 1972 to 1975, Drew Brees's maternal uncle, Marty Akins, was an All-American starting quarterback for the Texas Longhorns college football team.

January 15, 1979: Drew Brees Born

On January 15, 1979, Drew Christopher Brees was born. He would go on to become a celebrated NFL quarterback.

1980: Highest ranking since 1980

In 2000, Drew Brees helped lead Purdue to a #9 ranking in the AP Poll, the program's highest spot since the 1980 season.

1981: Birth of Younger Brother

In 1981, Drew Brees' younger brother, Reid, was born.

1982: Brees averaged 342.25 yards passing per game, breaking Dan Fouts's record of 320.3

In 1982, Drew Brees averaged 342.25 passing yards per game, surpassing Dan Fouts's record of 320.3 yards from the strike-shortened 1982 season.

1989: Academic All-America honors

As a senior, Drew Brees became the first Boilermaker since Bruce Brineman in 1989 to earn Academic All-America honors.

1996: State Championship Win

In 1996, Drew Brees was selected as Texas High School 5A Most Valuable Offensive Player and led the Austin Westlake High School football team to a 16–0 record and a state championship.

1998: NCAA Record

In the 1998 season, during a game against Wisconsin, Drew Brees tied an NCAA single-game record with 55 completions and set the NCAA record for pass attempts in a single game with 83.

September 25, 1999: Tied NCAA Record

On September 25, 1999, Drew Brees tied an NCAA record with a 99-yard pass to receiver Vinny Sutherland against Northwestern.

1999: Davey O'Brien Award Finalist

In 1999, Drew Brees was a finalist for the Davey O'Brien Award as the nation's best quarterback.

2000: Big Ten Championship

In 2000, Drew Brees led the Purdue Boilermakers to memorable upsets against top-ranked Ohio State and Michigan en route to the Boilermakers' first Big Ten championship since 1967.

2000: Maxwell Award Winner

In 2000, Drew Brees won the Maxwell Award as the nation's outstanding player.

November 4, 2001: First Professional Game

On November 4, 2001, Drew Brees played in his first professional game against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 8, relieving Doug Flutie due to a concussion.

2001: Rose Bowl Appearance

Due to head-to-head victories over Michigan and Northwestern in 2000, Drew Brees helped lead Purdue to the 2001 Rose Bowl, which was the school's first appearance there since 1967.

2001: Graduation from Purdue

In 2001, Drew Brees graduated from Purdue with a degree in industrial management and became a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity.

2001: NFL Draft Selection

In 2001, Drew Brees was drafted in the second round of the NFL draft by the San Diego Chargers, following a successful college football career at Purdue.

2001: NCAA's Today's Top VIII Award

In 2001, Drew Brees won the NCAA's Today's Top VIII Award.

August 19, 2002: Named Starting Quarterback

On August 19, 2002, Drew Brees was named the starting quarterback for the 2002 season over Doug Flutie.

February 2003: Marriage to Brittany Dudchenko

In February 2003, Drew Brees married his college sweetheart, Brittany Dudchenko.

2003: Touchdown Reception

During the 2003 season, Drew Brees recorded a 21-yard touchdown reception on a pass thrown by LaDainian Tomlinson in Week 4.

2004: Designated Franchise Player

After the 2004 season, the San Diego Chargers designated Drew Brees a franchise player, offering him a one-year contract.

2004: Quarterback Controversy

Drew Brees faced a quarterback controversy after the San Diego Chargers acquired Philip Rivers after the 2004 NFL draft, but performed well enough to secure the starting job.

2004: AFC Offensive Player of the Week

During the 2004 season, Drew Brees was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week. He led the Chargers to a 12-4 record and was selected to the Pro Bowl.

2004: Breakout Season and Honors

In 2004, Drew Brees had a breakout season with the San Diego Chargers, earning him Pro Bowl and Comeback Player of the Year honors.

2005: Starting Quarterback

In 2005, Drew Brees continued as the starting quarterback for the San Diego Chargers under the terms of his franchise player contract.

2005: Brother's Baseball Team in College World Series

In 2005, Drew Brees's younger brother, Reid, was an outfielder for the Baylor Bears baseball team, which made the College World Series.

January 5, 2006: Surgery to repair torn labrum

On January 5, 2006, Drew Brees underwent arthroscopic surgery, performed by Dr. James Andrews, to repair the torn labrum in his right (throwing) shoulder. Subsequent reports mentioned additional partial rotator cuff damage and he was also treated by Dr. Saby Szajowitz to recover and regain muscle movement.

March 14, 2006: Signed with the New Orleans Saints

On March 14, 2006, Drew Brees signed a six-year, $60 million deal with the Saints. This happened after the Dolphins were unsure about Brees' shoulder and traded for Daunte Culpepper instead. The Dolphins' decision not to sign Brees led to Nick Saban's resignation to coach for Alabama Crimson Tide.

2006: Joins New Orleans Saints

In 2006, Drew Brees joined the New Orleans Saints, marking the beginning of a transformative era for the franchise.

January 5, 2007: Named first runner-up for league MVP

On January 5, 2007, Drew Brees was named first runner-up behind LaDainian Tomlinson for league MVP by the Associated Press. Drew Brees and LaDainian Tomlinson were also co-recipients of the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award.

January 13, 2007: First Playoff Game for New Orleans

On January 13, 2007, in his first playoff game for New Orleans, Drew Brees played against the Philadelphia Eagles in the Divisional Round at the Louisiana Superdome. The Saints won 27–24, and advanced to the franchise's first NFC Championship Game against the Chicago Bears.

February 18, 2007: Grand Marshal of Bacchus Parade

On February 18, 2007, Drew Brees was honored as the 2007 Grand Marshal of the Bacchus parade by the Krewe of Bacchus, a New Orleans Mardi Gras parade organization.

February 2008: Promotional Deal with Chili's Grill & Bar

In February 2008, Drew Brees signed a promotional deal with Chili's Grill & Bar to promote the chain's new line of hamburgers. This promotion also helped raise money for charity.

June 2008: Participation in Pro Sports Team Challenge

In June 2008, Drew Brees participated in the Pro Sports Team Challenge, a competition for professional athletes designed to help raise money for various charities. Brees represented Operation Kids in the challenge.

June 2009: Visit to Guantanamo Bay

In late June 2009, Drew Brees visited the Guantanamo Bay detention camp as part of a USO tour. After his return, Brees commented that Guantanamo captives were being treated better than convicts in U.S. prisons.

August 7, 2009: Death of Mina Brees

On August 7, 2009, Drew Brees's mother, Mina Brees, passed away at age 59 from a prescription drug overdose, which was ruled a suicide. Brees was temporarily excused from training camp due to the "family matter."

2009: Inducted into Purdue's Intercollegiate Athletics Hall of Fame

In 2009, Drew Brees was inducted into Purdue's Intercollegiate Athletics Hall of Fame, recognizing his achievements as a Boilermaker.

2009: Mother's Death

In 2009, Drew Brees' mother, Mina Ruth Akins, passed away. She was an attorney.

2009: Saints won superbowl

The Saints advanced to their first NFC Championship Game since their 2009 Super Bowl winning season.

February 7, 2010: Won Super Bowl XLIV

On February 7, 2010, the Saints defeated the Indianapolis Colts 31-17 in Super Bowl XLIV. Drew Brees tied a Super Bowl record with 32 pass completions and won the Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Award. He threw for 288 yards and two touchdowns. It was the first league championship in Saints franchise history.

February 14, 2010: Bacchus XLII for the 2010 parade

On February 14, 2010, one week after the Super Bowl during Mardi Gras season, Drew Brees presided as Bacchus XLII for the 2010 parade.

March 30, 2010: Becomes Spokesperson for AdvoCare

On March 30, 2010, Drew Brees became the national spokesperson for AdvoCare International, a multi-level marketing company that produces weight management, nutritional supplements, and personal care products.

April 2010: Madden NFL 11 Cover Athlete

In April 2010, Drew Brees was voted by fans as the cover athlete of the EA Sports Madden NFL 11 video game.

June 2010: Appointment to President's Council

In June 2010, President Obama appointed Drew Brees to be co-chair of the newly renamed President's Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition, along with former Olympic gymnast Dominique Dawes.

July 6, 2010: Release of "Coming Back Stronger"

On July 6, 2010, Drew Brees released his first book, "Coming Back Stronger: Unleashing the Hidden Power of Adversity", co-authored by Chris Fabry, which opened at number 3 on The New York Times nonfiction bestseller list.

October 2010: It Gets Better Video Appearance

In October 2010, Drew Brees appeared in an It Gets Better video, delivering an anti-bullying message in response to a series of suicides committed by gay teenagers.

December 17, 2010: Named AP Male Athlete of the Year

On December 17, 2010, Drew Brees was named AP Male Athlete of the Year.

2010: Big Ten Icons Documentary

In 2010, Drew Brees was ranked number 48 on the Big Ten Icons documentary, featuring the conference's top fifty student-athletes.

2011: Brees set NFL record with 468 completions

In 2011, Drew Brees had 468 completions, which would later be broken by himself in 2016.

2011: Quarterback of the Year Award Named

In 2011, the Big Ten Conference's Griese–Brees Quarterback of the Year award was initiated and named in Drew Brees' and Bob Griese's honor.

2012: Ranked as the second-best player in the league

In 2012, Drew Brees was ranked as the second-best player in the league by his peers on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2012.

2012: Brees entered season with temporary head coach

In 2012, due to Sean Payton's suspension, Drew Brees began the season with Aaron Kromer as the temporary head coach for the first six games, followed by Joe Vitt taking over head coaching duties after Week 8.

2012: Brees's streak of consecutive games with a touchdown pass ended at 54

In 2012, during a Week 13 game against the Atlanta Falcons, Drew Brees threw no touchdowns and a career-high five interceptions, ending his streak of consecutive games with at least one touchdown pass at 54. He finished the 2012 season with 5,177 passing yards and 43 touchdowns despite the Saints having the worst defensive support in the NFL and missing the playoffs with a 7-9 record.

October 2013: Pass Attempts Record Broken

In October 2013, the NCAA record for pass attempts in a game, previously held by Drew Brees, was broken by Washington State quarterback Connor Halliday.

2013: Saints Started the 2013 season with a 5-0 record

Drew Brees and the Saints started the 2013 season with a 5-0 record, which included a Week 4 victory over the Miami Dolphins where Brees had 413 passing yards and four touchdowns, earning him the NFC Offensive Player of the Week award. In Week 12, Brees passed Warren Moon for fifth on the career passing yards list, and in Week 14, he became the fastest player to reach 50,000 career passing yards.

2013: Selected to the 2013 Pro Bowl

In 2013, Drew Brees was selected to his seventh Pro Bowl as an injury replacement for Robert Griffin III and was ranked 11th by his peers on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2013.

2013: Peyton Manning bested Brees's record by one passing yard

In 2013, Peyton Manning surpassed Drew Brees's record by one passing yard, finishing the season with an NFL-record 5,477 passing yards, averaging 342.31 yards per game.

2013: Saints missed playoffs

The Saints 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 in the 2013 season.

2014: Brees admits that the 2014 season was his "most frustrating"

Drew Brees described the 2014 season as his "most frustrating." Despite personal achievements like moving into fourth place on the career passing yardage list and becoming the NFL's all-time leader in completion percentage, the Saints finished with a 7-9 record and missed the playoffs.

2014: Ranked sixth by his fellow players

In 2014, Drew Brees was ranked sixth by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2014.

2014: Clarification on Naming

In a 2014 interview, Drew Brees clarified that the story of him being named after Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Drew Pearson was "just legend".

May 2015: Stake in Walk-On's Bistreaux & Bar

In May 2015, Drew Brees purchased a 25% stake in Walk-On's Bistreaux & Bar, a sports bar that originated in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

October 4, 2015: Brees reaches 400 career touchdowns

On October 4, 2015, Drew Brees threw an 80-yard touchdown pass to C. J. Spiller in overtime to secure a 26-20 victory against the Dallas Cowboys. This marked his 400th career touchdown, making him the fifth player in NFL history to reach this milestone and the fastest to do so in 205 games. He also earned the NFC Offensive Player of the Week award.

November 1, 2015: Brees tied the NFL record of touchdown passes in a game with seven

On November 1, 2015, Drew Brees tied the NFL record for touchdown passes in a single game with seven during a 52-49 Saints victory over the New York Giants. He passed for 505 yards and earned the NFC Offensive Player of the Week award for his performance.

2015: Ranked 30th by his fellow players

In 2015, Drew Brees was ranked 30th by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2015.

2016: Brees led the league in passing yards with 5,208

In 2016, Drew Brees led the league in passing yards with 5,208, the second-most of his career and the fifth 5,000-yard season of his career. He also threw for 471 completions, breaking his own NFL record set in 2011. He was named to his tenth career Pro Bowl, but the Saints missed the playoffs for the third straight season.

2016: Brees surpassed Dan Marino for fourth in career touchdown passes

In 2016, Drew Brees surpassed Dan Marino for fourth in career touchdown passes. He also reached the 60,000-yard milestone and had his 10th straight 4,000-yard season. Despite his accomplishments, the Saints finished with a 7–9 record and missed the playoffs. He was ranked 30th by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2016.

2016: Brees Threw a career-high 98-yard touchdown pass

In the Saints' 2016 season opener, Drew Brees threw a career-high 98-yard touchdown pass to Brandin Cooks in a narrow loss to the Oakland Raiders. He finished the game with 423 passing yards and four touchdown passes, tying him with Peyton Manning for the most 400-yard passing games in NFL history.

December 19, 2017: Named to his 11th career Pro Bowl

On December 19, 2017, Drew Brees was named to his 11th career Pro Bowl.

2017: Brees Set an NFL record

Drew Brees finished the 2017 season setting a then-NFL record 72.0 completion percentage. In 2018, he broke his own record and set the new NFL record for completion percentage at 74.4%

2017: Saints Division Title

Drew Brees led the New Orleans Saints to a division title in 2017, marking the beginning of a four-year streak.

2017: Ranked 16th by his peers

In 2017, Drew Brees was ranked 16th by his peers on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2017.

March 13, 2018: Signed two-year contract extension with the Saints

On March 13, 2018, Drew Brees signed a two-year, $50 million contract extension with the Saints, including $27 million guaranteed.

April 2018: Lawsuit Against San Diego Jeweler

In April 2018, Drew Brees filed a lawsuit against a San Diego jeweler, claiming that he and his wife paid $15 million for investment-grade diamonds that were later appraised at only $6 million.

2018: Ranked eighth by his fellow players

In 2018, Drew Brees was ranked eighth by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2018.

2018: Renaming of the Byron "Whizzer" White NFL Man of the Year Award

In the fall of 2018, the Byron "Whizzer" White NFL Man of the Year Award, previously named after Byron "Whizzer" White, was renamed in honor of Alan Page.

March 2019: Partnership with Walk-On's

In March 2019, Drew Brees partnered with Brandon Landry, co-founder of Walk-On's, to launch a new restaurant.

June 21, 2019: $6 Million Award in Lawsuit

On June 21, 2019, Drew Brees was awarded $6 million in the lawsuit against a San Diego jeweler, relating to the purchase of investment-grade diamonds.

2019: Ranked as the second best player in the NFL

In 2019, Drew Brees was ranked as the second best player in the NFL by his peers on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2019.

June 3, 2020: Controversy over National Anthem Comments

On June 3, 2020, during the George Floyd protests, Drew Brees stated to Yahoo Finance that he maintained his 2016 opinion that kneeling during the national anthem was disrespectful. This statement drew criticism from teammates and other professional athletes, leading to a subsequent apology.

November 15, 2020: Rib Injury During Game Against 49ers

On November 15, 2020, Drew Brees exited the Saints' Week 10 game against the San Francisco 49ers in the first half with a rib injury from a sack attempt by Kentavius Street. Before leaving, he completed 8 of 13 passes for 76 yards and one touchdown.

November 20, 2020: Placed on Injured Reserve

On November 20, 2020, Drew Brees was placed on injured reserve after suffering multiple broken ribs and a collapsed lung, ruling him out for at least the next three games.

December 19, 2020: Return and Passing Yards Record

On December 19, 2020, Drew Brees was activated for the Saints' Week 15 game against the Kansas City Chiefs after missing four games. He threw for 234 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception. During the Saints' 32-29 loss, Brees surpassed Anthony Calvillo for first place in career passing yards in any professional outdoor gridiron football league.

2020: Retirement from NFL

Drew Brees retired from the NFL after the 2020 season, concluding his 15 seasons with the New Orleans Saints.

2020: Led Saints to Multiple Division Titles

From 2017 to 2020, Drew Brees led the Saints to four consecutive division titles, adding to a total of seven division titles during his tenure from 2006 to 2020.

February 6, 2021: Contract Renegotiation with Saints

On February 6, 2021, Drew Brees' contract with the Saints was renegotiated, reducing his salary to $1.075 million for the upcoming season to create salary cap space.

March 14, 2021: Retirement Announcement

On March 14, 2021, exactly 15 years after signing his first contract with the New Orleans Saints, Drew Brees announced his retirement from professional football after twenty seasons.

June 11, 2021: Placed on Reserve/Retired List

On June 11, 2021, the Saints placed Drew Brees on their reserve/retired list, officially marking his departure from the team.

May 15, 2022: Departure from NBC Sports

On May 15, 2022, Drew Brees left NBC Sports after one season, where he served as a color analyst for Notre Dame games and on Football Night in America.