The term “future Hall of Famer” is almost a cliché in sports these days, but Drew Brees has fully earned that designation.
The legendary New Orleans Saints quarterback announced his retirement after 20 seasons on Sunday, which gives us a chance to look back on just how impressive his career was.
As one of the greatest passers to ever play — and one of the most consistent — Brees finds himself near the top of a number of all-time lists.
Here are just some of the incredible numbers from Brees’ incredible career.
NOTE: All stats via Pro Football Reference unless indicated otherwise.
80,358
Brees finishes his illustrious career with the most passing yards in NFL history, having become the first QB ever to eclipse the 80K mark when he did so this past Christmas against the Vikings. This record will likely fall quickly, however, as the ageless Tom Brady trails Brees by just 1,154 yards – a number Brady will surely surpass in 2021.
7,142
The number of passes Brees completed over the span of two decades under centre, which currently ranks as the most all-time. Brees led the league in completed passes six times in his career and on four occasions led the NFL in pass attempts. This is another record Brady could surpass next season, as he trails Brees by just 364. (For reference, Brady completed 401 passes in 2020.)
5,000
One of the more remarkable on-field achievements of his career, Brees eclipsed 5,000 yards passing in a season five times. No other quarterback in NFL history has thrown for 5,000 yards more than once.
571
Brees finishes his career with 571 touchdown passes, the second-most TD throws in NFL history. Brady currently leads that category with 581, while Peyton Manning sits in third with 539. The closest active quarterback is Aaron Rodgers with 412.
123
The number of 300-yard passing games Brees had in his distinguished career, which is the most all-time, per StatMuse. Brees started in 286 career games, meaning he threw for at least 300 yards in 43 per cent of the games he started.
97
Brees threw for at least three passing touchdowns in 97 games throughout his 20 seasons in the NFL, per StatMuse, good for the most all-time. No. 9 threw at least a trio of TD passes in four games last season, including in the final regular-season game of his career.
67.7
Brees’ all-time completion percentage, good for second all-time. He led the league in completion percentage six times in his career, including in three of his last four seasons. Brees didn’t finish a season with a completion percentage above 70 until 2009, his eighth season as a full-time starter, but wraps up his career having done so seven times, including in each of the last five seasons.
44
Brees hoisted the Lombardi Trophy once in his career after defeating Peyton Manning’s Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl 44 on Feb. 7, 2010. It was not just the only time Brees would lift the Lombardi, but the only Super Bowl in which he ever appeared during his time in the NFL.
13
NFL fans voted Brees into the Pro Bowl 13 times in 20 seasons – once as a member the San Diego Chargers and 12 times as a Saint. Brees was voted to seven straight Pro Bowls from 2008-14.
7
The number of times Brees led the league in passing yards, doing so first in 2006 – his first season in New Orleans – and most recently in 2016 when he surpassed 5,000 yards passing for the fifth and final time. Brees threw for a career-high 5,476 yards during the 2011 season, which was the most ever at the time but was surpassed by a single yard by Peyton Manning in 2013.
5
The amount of times Brees was named an All-Pro in his career, including one first-team All-Pro in 2006. He was named a second-team All-Pro in 2008, 2009, 2011 and, for the last time, in 2018.
4
Brees led the league in passing touchdowns four times, including a career-high mark of 46 in 2011. The Austin, Texas native led the NFL in TD throws in four of the five seasons between 2008 and 2012.
2
Despite never being named NFL MVP in his career, Brees was voted offensive player of the year on a pair of occasions: 2008 and 2011. In ’08, Brees threw for 5,000 yards for the first time in his career (5,069), tossed a then-career-high 34 TDs and led the league in passing yards, passing TDs and yards per game (316.8). In ’11, Brees surpassed all of those totals in what was arguably his best-ever campaign: 5,476 passing yards, 46 TDs, 342.3 yards per game and a completion percentage of 71.2.
