Drew Brees's Success and Achievements in Timeline

A closer look at the biggest achievements of Drew Brees. Awards, milestones, and records that define success.

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

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.

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.

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.

2001: NCAA's Today's Top VIII Award

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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: 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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: 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.