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The New Orleans Saints’ post-Drew Brees era has been disappointing.
Brees retired after the 2020 season, ending his illustrious career with four consecutive playoff appearances. Since his final game, however, the Saints haven’t played any bonus football.
They are trying to right the ship after Derek Carr’s four-year contract ended in injuries and a retirement. They drafted Tyler Shough in the second round, and he’s battling it out with Spencer Rattler for the starting job.
But despite question marks at the most important position in football that was filled by Brees for over a decade, the veteran signal caller actually has confidence in what seems to be everyone’s least favorite team in the NFL.
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File – Drew Brees #9 and head coach Sean Payton of the New Orleans Saints talk prior to the game against the San Francisco 49ers at Mercedes Benz Superdome on December 08, 2019 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
“You’re just limited on experience, is all it is. But I think you got a bunch of young, hungry guys that are willing to work, willing to learn, and obviously have a great coach in Kellen Moore and a great system,” Brees told Fox News Digital in a recent interview. “Kellen Moore’s proven, I think, over the last few years to be an incredible innovator offensively and build offenses around his quarterbacks. Coaching Dak [Prescott] down in Dallas, coaching Jalen Hurts last year to a Super Bowl championship. So, I mean, he’s got quite the track record now, too. So I think all that to be said, you know, I think everyone is excited within the Saints’ locker room, just about what they can create offensively. Obviously, you try to get these QBs up to speed, see who’s going to be the starter.
“Still a ton of experience and depth on defense. Probably one of the best offensive lines in football when you really look at it. Man for man, you drafted first round tackles here at the last, what, three years? So, they’re building a team the right way. They’re building it in the trenches, you know, with the O and D lines. And I think they got a bunch of skill guys, too. [Chris] Olave and [Rasheed] Shaheed can blow the top off. [Alvin] Kamara is one of the most dynamic backs in the league. So, you know, start looking around at all the pieces they have, and it’s like, they could definitely cause some problems for people.”
Brees’ former head coach in Sean Payton has the ability to make an up-and-coming phenom into a superstar in Bo Nix with the Denver Broncos. Nix was arguably the second-best rookie quarterback last year behind Jayden Daniels, despite being the last of the six first-round quarterbacks.
Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) during the first quarter against the Kansas City Chiefs at Empower Field at Mile High. (Ron Chenoy/ Imagn Images)
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“Look, I’m excited for both of them, because I know they both like working with each other… Any time you’re going into your second year, I think as an NFL quarterback, last year probably feels like a blur in a lot of ways just because, man, it’s a long season. You’re adjusting to a new offense, new speed of the game, just new mode of operation. And so I think for Bo, it’ll be a much higher level of comfort this year. I think there’s high expectations for the Broncos this year, as there should be. A lot of great pieces,” Brees said.
Payton helped Brees make his career in New Orleans, and Brees has paid his dues back to the community with his Brees Dream Foundation. To continue the philanthropic work, he has partnered with Jimmy John’s where fans can order the “Brees No. 9,” an Italian Nightclub sandwich with “a specialty to it.”
“So it’s ham, salami, capicola, lettuce, tomato, onions. It’s got salt, pepper, oil, vinegar, and then this little basil oregano mix, but then you go no cheese, and you add the Jimmy peppers. So that’s kind of a secret to the Brees No. 9,” Brees said of the tasty sub that bears his name. Proceeds from sandwich orders through the end of August will go to the Jimmy John’s Foundation, which will benefit the quarterback’s foundation and Boys and Girls Clubs across the country.
“I’ve been a fan of Jimmy John’s, back to my freshman year of college at Purdue University, back in 1997. I started off as a customer before I ever became a franchisee, but there’s really an authentic story to tell there. It was a big part of my college years,” he added.
“It’s really full circle because for my kids, it’s a tradition that we’re getting Jimmy John’s after the games together. One of my sons gets a No. 9, except he gets a No. 9, double meat, add bacon. Or he gets to the gargantuan, which is like, basically two foot-longs on one big old piece of French bread with, you know, everything on it. So I got some growing boys in my family.”
It’ll be quite a treat for players in the preseason — in fact, some starters might need a “Brees No. 9” now more than ever, as they’re getting back into some early preseason action.
Former New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees speaks to the fans during halftime of the game between the Buffalo Bills and the New Orleans Saints at Caesars Superdome on November 25, 2021, in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
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The trend strayed away in recent years after “a couple of these big injuries to starters,” Brees said, but he’s happy to see that the “standard” from his playing days is coming back.
“It was like, ‘Hey, let’s just get healthy for the first game.’ At the same time, there’s that balance between being healthy and being prepared, right? And for me, the preparation came with full-speed reps,” Brees said. “Full-speed reps, you see a lot more joint practices to get guys ready now. Preseason, obviously, everybody takes the approach they want to take. But I think it’s all a matter of where you feel like your team is in regards to are they prepared both mentally, physically for the season.”
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