HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Drew Brees!!!!!

Big Easy Believer extends our warmest birthday wishes to future NFL Hall-of-Famer and Saints QB Drew Brees ,who turned 36; and his oldest son Baylen, who is 6 years old today — HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Brees Boys !!!

No, Drew Brees isn’t exactly a “young” man anymore; but as the young folks like to say,  “let’s not get it twisted”. I realize that Brees doesn’t own the same physical skills he did 5 years ago, or even just 3 years ago for that matter. But to borrow another bit of terminology from the younger generation, I just have to say that I’m sorry, “haters” — but Drew Brees is STILL ELITE.

While I totally get that Brees has made some “boneheaded” decisions this year — decisions that have cost the Saints dearly in some heart-breaking defeats — he is still one of the Top 5 QB’s in this League. Anyone who believes that he is not, either doesn’t really know the sport of football as well as they think they do, or just has some kind of a personal dislike against the man.

Surely there is a small segment of Saints fans who don’t like Brees as much as they did during the glory of the Super Bowl run of 2009, because of the fact that they felt (and still do feel) that the 5 year, $100 million dollar contract that he was awarded before the start of the 2012 season, was unwarranted.

They feel that Brees is overpaid, and hasn’t been a “team player” by agreeing to lesser terms to free up additional cap money to attract and sign other players. Considering that several other QB’s around the League have signed similar or even MORE lucrative deals since that time, that angle appears to have played itself out as well. From my perspective, we got a huge bargain.

"“My mentality, my approach, my preparation and process throughout the week does not change regardless of whether people are singing my praises or telling me I can’t play anymore. I really don’t care (laughing). I pride myself on the way that I work, the way I prepare, the type of leader and person that I’m trying to be for my team.” – Saints QB Drew Brees, after his 5 TD performance against Pittsburgh back in December of 2014"

But you don’t have to take my word for it. Let the numbers for Brees in the 2014 regular season, speak for themselves. He led the league in completion percentage (70.3) and tied for first in passing yards (4,938), and was sixth in efficiency rating (101.7). That’s not too shabby for a player allegedly on the “downside” of his NFL career.

While I’ve alluded to the physical regression of the male human body that naturally takes its course after age 30 in my previous articles, the argument can be made that Brees isn’t your typical 36-year old male. His superb physical conditioning is equal with that of a man just about to enter into his 30’s — making the assertion that he potentially could play to age 40, not all that far-fetched.

Like a fine wine —- Andrew Christopher Brees just gets better with age…..

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