Brees only played in one game during his rookie year, Nov. The Chargers finished with year-old Doug Flutie as their starter. With Brees as its starter, San Diego won six of its first seven games before losing its final four en route to an season.

Brees started all 16 games and threw for 17 touchdowns and 16 interceptions. San Diego finished , while Brees threw four more interceptions than touchdowns 15 to 11 while averaging just 5. He was eventually replaced as starter by Flutie during the second half of the season. Handed the starting job by default, Brees responded by throwing for 27 touchdowns against just seven interceptions, while his But San Diego was upset in the first round of playoffs by the Jets , in overtime.

The talented Chargers missed the playoffs at If the thumb and the ribs were the only things, that would be one thing. But the ribs also came with a collapsed lung. According to his wife, Brittany, Brees also played through a torn rotator cuff and and a torn fascia, adding shoulder and foot to the list of concerning injuries.

Brees made the announcement in a post on his Instagram featuring his four kids. A post shared by Drew Brees drewbrees. There also was declining arm strength from Brees. The deep balls were a struggle. Brees finished No. The season before, he finished No. Brees has kept himself in tremendous physical shape overall to play at this high of a level for so long. But there have been signs of breaking down in his early 40s, a lot different than Brady.

Mentally and athletically, Brees can still play quarterback better than most and help his team win a lot more games. The limitations keeping him from executing at his high standard of exeuction, however, became too much in The Saints made a commitment to Brees in despite some other teams, such as the Dolphins, having worries about the state of his right throwing shoulder coming off injury when displaced by Philip Rivers in his final season with the Chargers.

Started all 16 games, one of only 14 NFL signal-callers to open every contest, and completed of passes Reached 5, passing yards for NFL-record fifth time while his yardage total was the second-highest in his career and the fourth-highest all-time. Set NFL single-season record for completions and led or tied for eague lead in passing yardage for a league-record seventh time. Ranked first in the NFL in completions, passing yardage and attempts, second in completion percentage, third in touchdown passes and fifth in passer rating and third-down passer rating Raiders, Sept.

After not throwing an interception, improved streak to consecutive attempts without a pick vs. Raiders, surpassing Brady vs. Pittsburgh for longest streak without a pick against an opponent by an active signal-caller…At New York Giants, Sept. Sixth consecutive game without an interception, tying club record Aaron Brooks, Nov. Surpassed previous career-best streak of consecutive attempts without an interception Atlanta, Sept.

Carolina, Oct. Also reached 50, passing yards over Saints career, joining Elway, Favre, Marino, Brady and Manning as the only players to throw for at least 50, yards with one team. In second quarter, connected with Cooks on a yard TD, the sixth-longest passing play in team history, giving him the most TD passes of yards or more. In fourth quarter game-winning drive, completed eight-of-nine passes for 46 yards…At Kansas City, Oct. Seattle, Oct. Also scored a one-yard TD on a quarterback sneak.

Denver, Nov. Rushed twice for zero yards…Vs. Also had a one-yard touchdown on a quarterback sneak…Vs. Detroit, Dec. On a nine-yard completion to Brandon Coleman in the second quarter, eclipsed 4, passing yards for the season, making his NFL-record 11th straight 4, yard passing season and 11th overall…At Arizona, Dec. Recorded his th regular season victory as a Saint…Vs.

Tampa Bay, Dec. Started 15 games and completed of passes Completions and completion percentage Coleman became 50th player to catch a TD from Brees in regular season…Vs. Recorded 4,th career completion, breaking a tie with Marino to take sole possession of third place on NFL all-time list…Inactive at Carolina shoulder , Sept. Dallas, Oct. Connected with C. Spiller for an yard game-winning TD in overtime, his th career TD pass and first career overtime scoring throw.

Became the fifth QB to reach the milestone; he did so in his th career game, making him the fastest player to reach Manning, Completed 15 consecutive first half passes. Atlanta, Oct. New York Giants, Nov. Completed of passes Yardage total was the second-highest total of career and second in team records.

TD pass total tied NFL single-game record with seven other players. Tied career-high for completions. Threw for career-high yards in first quarter. Completed 18 consecutive passes from first through third quarters. Tennessee, Nov. Carried three times for -1 yards with a one-yard TD. With three TD passes, marked ten over his last two games, tying a career-high for the most after a two-game span.

Joined Y. Title and Nick Foles as the third signal-caller to throw at least three TDs following a contest in when threw seven…Completed of passes for yards and an interception at Houston, Nov. Consecutive games streak with at least a TD pass ended at 45 games, fifth-longest in NFL history…At Tampa Bay, completed of passes for yards with two TDs, zero interceptions and a Moved past Marino into fourth place in TD passes…Completed of passes for yards with three TDs and rushed once for 11 yards for a Became the fourth player in NFL records with 60, yards passing.

Surpassed Manning to move into sole possession of first all-time with 94 yard passing games. Surpassed Marino to move into fourth all-time for multiple touchdown pass games …Vs. Jacksonville, Dec. With his 13th career yard passing game, moved into a tie with Marino for second all-time. With two first quarter TDs, he recorded the ninth multi-TD first quarter of his career. Finished ranked first in completions and attempts, tied for first in passing yardage, ranked second in completion percentage, tied for fifth in touchdown passes and ranked sixth in rating.

In finale at Tampa Bay, Dec. Brees and Colston also became the fifth-most prolific quarterback-receiver combination for touchdowns with that 68th touchdown connection Colston concluded his Saints career with the duo ranked fifth at Overall, completed of passes for yards with one TD and three interceptions in a contest where the Saints came back to win facing a point fourth quarter deficit for the first time…In th career game at Chicago, Dec.

It was his 20th overall, joining Manning and Brady as only the third player to win 20 conference Player of the Week…Completed of passes for yards Baltimore, Nov.

Cincinnati, Nov. Green Bay, Oct. Tampa Bay, Oct. Led team on a play, yard scoring drive in overtime…Completed of Minnesota, Sept.

Rushed 35 times for 52 yards with three TDs. Second in NFL in completions, completion percentage, passing yardage and attempts, fifth in third down passer rating With Saints trailing with left, completed three-of-four throws on a drive that ended with a game-winning field goal as time expired…Completed of passes for yards and three TDs vs. Arizona, Sept. Miami, Sept. Buffalo, Oct. Dallas, Nov. Had 19 consecutive completions as he led the Saints to an NFL-record 40 first downs and franchise-record net yards and he captured NFC Offensive Player of the Week for second time in …Completed of San Francisco, Nov.

After getting the ball back with left at the New Orleans yard line, Brees moved the team to set up yard game-winning field goal…Completed of Gave Saints lead with a three-yard TD to Colston with 31 seconds left in the first half. With his yard completion to Jimmy Graham, became only the fifth player in NFL history to throw for 50, career yards…Tied his team record for completions, when he connected on of passes for yards and one TD at Rams, Dec.

Served as captain and starter for Team Rice in contest as he completed an eight-yard TD to Graham in winning effort. Started all 16 games and completed of for 5, yards with 43 TDs and 19 interceptions for a TD total was the second-highest total 46 in of career, making him and Marino the only two players in NFL history with at least two seasons with 40 or more TDs Since also done by Manning in Yardage total was then the third-highest single-season figure in NFL records…Named to sixth Pro Bowl as Saint, starting game…Completed of passes for yards, three TDs and a First quarter yard touchdown to Colston extended his streak of consecutive games with a TD to 47, tying Johnny Unitas' NFL record…Completed of passes for yards, four TDs, one interception and a San Diego, Oct.

He led the Saints to victory in Super Bowl XLIV in , and went on to shatter league records for completions, passing yards and touchdowns. His maternal grandfather, Ray Akins, is one of the all-time great coaches in Texas high school football history, while his uncle, Marty Akins, was an All-Southwest Conference quarterback in At Westlake High School in Austin, Brees lettered in both basketball and baseball, but he truly excelled on the football field.

During his senior season in the fall of , he led the club to a perfect regular-season record and a state championship. The following year, Brees enrolled at Purdue University, where he continued to shine as a quarterback. During the course of his four-year career, Brees, a two-time Heisman finalist, steered the Boilermakers to a Big Ten Championship as well as a trip to the Rose Bowl.

Despite his stellar college resume, Brees' relatively diminutive stature he's listed at 6 feet and perceived mediocre arm strength greatly contributed to him slipping out of the first round of the NFL draft. He wound up with the San Diego Chargers as the first pick of the second round. As a Charger, Brees proved himself to be one of the game's better quarterbacks.