MOST RELIABLE: Top 5 Saints That Fans Can Always Count On

Dec 27, 2015; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees (9) reacts after throwing a touchdown pass against the Jacksonville Jaguars during the first quarter of a game at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

DREW BREES

In his decade as the starting QB for the New Orleans Saints dating back to the 2006 season, no one player has been any more reliable than Andrew Christopher Brees.

For all of the talk about ‘overpaying’ him for this coming season ($30 million for the final year of his contract that he originally signed back in 2012) or the inability for him and the team to reach an agreement on a contract extension, the fact still remains that at the end of the day, Drew Brees will STILL be the quarterback of the New Orleans Saints in 2016, and he’s still considered “The Franchise” — until one day (whenever that is), he’s not.

In 15 games last season, Brees completed 428 passes out of 627 attempts, for 4,870 yards and 32 TD’s, for a completion percentage of 68.3 % and a QB rating of 100.7.

That includes his phenomenal performance against the New York Giants at the Superdome in Week #9; when he passed for 505 yards and an NFL record-tying seven touchdowns. Not too shabby for a guy who turns 38 years old next January.

However, Brees still doesn’t get any love, even when people think that they’re complimenting him, but really aren’t. Case in point: here’s what Pro Football Focus said about Brees, who had one of the NFL’s truly elite stars “only” ranked #78 overall:

"It’s easy to think of Brees as just a big contract hanging around the necks of the Saints, because they aren’t winning as many games anymore, but their franchise quarterback was still playing pretty well, if not quite as well as he has at his peak. He was accurate on 77.2 percent of all pass attempts adjusting for drops, which was seventh-best in the NFL, and still passed for over 4,800 yards. Best performance: Week 17 at Atlanta: +5.4 grade Key stat: Brees was the most accurate passer on throws over 20 yards at 50.6 percent"

PFF’s view of Brees aside, there are many reasons why he is not only one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL right now, but perhaps among one of the best in NFL history.

Brees has had a record breaking career in New Orleans, as evidenced by these Hall of Fame numbers:

• First (and only) New Orleans Saints quarterback to win and be MVP of a Super Bowl (XLIV)
• Lead the league in passing yards 6 times and passing touchdowns 4 times
• 66.4 career completion percentage, his best single season 71.1 completion % in 2011
• Tied 7 passing TD’s in a game
• 54 consecutive games with a Touchdown
• 440 completions in a single season
• Became the second quarterback in NFL history to throw for over 5,000 yards in a season
• Most single season passing yards: 5,476
• Broke Dan Marino’s 27-year-old record for most passing yds in a season (5,476 yds. in 2011)
• Saints franchise record for passing touchdowns in a season with 46
• Fastest player ever to get 50,000-yards and only the fifth player to do so in 183 games
• 5th player in NFL history to reach the 400 touchdown milestone
• 4th quarterback to reach the 60,000-yard milestone—in 215 games, the fastest ever
• 10th straight 4,000-yard season, plus his 96th 300-yard game

Brees’ time in New Orleans might be coming to an soon, but until it does he will remain as one of the sport’s elite players — as well as one of the Saints franchise’s most reliable players in its entire 50-year history……..