Taysom Hill started Sunday’s game against the Atlanta Falcons. Hill played well and led the New Orleans Saints to a dominant victory over the NFC South rival. Lingering over this team and anyone else who starts at quarterback is the stature of Drew Brees. Brees is currently on Injured Reserve for rib injuries with hopes to return later this season. Even with a win and Hill’s great game, Brees was on everyone’s mind. Some fans wondered if we had seen Brees for the last time in a Saints uniform. Others worried about his health. Concern about Brees’ future and his status in the Louisiana region is everywhere. Thanksgiving is right around the corner. Fans and the populace alike might need to prepare for the end of the Brees era. More than ever, it’s time for New Orleans Saints fans to be thankful for Brees.
New Orleans Saints Fans Should Be Thankful for Drew Brees
Career of Drew Brees
It is difficult to write anything about Drew Brees which hasn’t been stated already. It’s not just the statistics that Brees can boast. His ability to make everyone around him better is underestimated. Players like Jimmy Graham, Robert Meachem, and Kenny Stills had great years behind Brees. When these players left the fold, they struggled to find the same production. Brees got the most out of these players. Marques Colston might be the best case of this. A seventh-round wide receiver from a small school, Colston had a great 10-year career with Brees at quarterback.
Each week, Drew Brees and Tom Brady are battling for the top touchdown thrower in NFL history. Currently, Brees has 565 touchdown passes. Of the 565 touchdown passes thrown by Brees, only six receivers have caught 20 or more in their time with the New Orleans Saints. Subtracting players like Graham, Meachem, Colston, Lance Moore, and Michael Thomas, Brees still has over 300 touchdown passes. This equates to an unbelievable 72 receivers who have caught touchdown passes from Brees. Brees simply makes everyone on the team better, something all Saints fans should be thankful for.
Off the Field
Drew Brees has also been a beacon of light to the Louisiana and Mississippi regions. His charity and community work has sought to enrich the region since he arrived in New Orleans. During this covid pandemic, Brees pledged five million dollars to the region to help combat hunger. Brees’ foundation has donated over $33 million to various charity ventures since its inception in 2003. Brees has also donated and helped other charities like the Team Gleason House which provides top of the line technologies to ALS patients. The AACSB made Brees an honoree in 2019 for all of his various off-the-field accolades. Brees has also invested in multiple businesses in the region, providing jobs in various industries. Brees was also named Walter Payton Man of the Year in 2006 which honors player off-the-field humanitarian efforts.
Being Thankful for Drew Brees
The respect for Drew Brees can be seen by the people around him. When playing the Carolina Panthers earlier this season, the respectful interactions between Brees and Teddy Bridgewater were widely shared. During this past week’s game started by Taysom Hill, Brees looked on with admiration while Hill led the team to victory. These are just the latest examples of the players Brees has uplifted in his NFL career. Brees’ charity, humanitarian, and entrepreneurial ventures have provided help to countless people. Brees will leave behind a legacy of greatness on and off the field. The region and fans should use these next few weeks as an assessment of Brees’ career. If this is the end of the era, the region and fans alike should spend the next few weeks being thankful for Drew Brees’ times with the New Orleans Saints.
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