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Are the New Orleans Saints better off without Drew Brees?

By Drake Lohse

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - DECEMBER 16: Quarterback Drew Brees #9 of the New Orleans Saints waves to the crows after his 540th career touchdown pass, for the most in league history, in the third quarter of the game against the Indianapolis Colts at Mercedes Benz Superdome on December 16, 2019 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - DECEMBER 16: Quarterback Drew Brees #9 of the New Orleans Saints waves to the crows after his 540th career touchdown pass, for the most in league history, in the third quarter of the game against the Indianapolis Colts at Mercedes Benz Superdome on December 16, 2019 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
(Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) /

The question at hand

It’s a painful question to broach, but a question that needs asking nonetheless: has Drew Brees, the NFL’s all-time leading passer, become a liability for the team he helped resurrect?

Surely a Super Bowl win from a decade ago negates all talk of Drew’s impermanence, right?

But holding on to one player for the sake of nostalgia isn’t just foolish, it’s selfish.

Because for the one Super Bowl-winning season that Drew Brees was the driving force behind, fans are quick to forget the three other seasons where the New Orleans Saints should have, at the very least, qualified for the big game.

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We could point to the 2006 season.

Yes, the Saints had what was, at the time, their best season in franchise history. In Sean Payton’s inaugural campaign, New Orleans went 10-6 and bravely marched their way to uncharted territory: the fabled NFC championship game.

In Chicago against Brian Urlacher’s Bears, the Saints were the less rounded team.

But Rex Grossman was no future Hall of Famer, and many Saints faithful are still blinded by the fact that it was Drew who threw an interception, lost two fumbles, and gave up a safety, all in a game that wasn’t lost until the fourth quarter.

Or have yourself a reluctant gander at the events of a year ago, and the no-call game.

There’s not a soul alive that doesn’t believe the Saints got robbed of a crucial pass interference penalty. But are we all just going to forget that we had the idyllic scenario?

Drew Brees and Michael Thomas with the ball on overtime’s first possession, needing only a touchdown to win and punch our ticket to our second Super Bowl? It should have been easy.

So why wasn’t it?

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