This 2024 MVP question is a reminder of the disrespect Drew Brees faced while playing

Drew Brees is one of the best quarterbacks the NFL has ever seen. Playing 20 years in the NFL, Brees is one of the most accurate and prolific passers of all time. He set numerous records throughout his career, led the New Orleans Saints to a Super Bowl, and in 2024, Brees will be inducted into the Saints Hall of Fame. It’s safe to assume that he’ll be a first-ballot Hall of Famer in 2026 for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

However, despite all that Drew Brees has accomplished, he's missing something that many great quarterbacks have: an MVP award. This reality was brought back to light in a recent piece by NFL writer Grant Gordon, looking at the seven NFL franchises that have never had an MVP winner. Gordon highlighted the Saints, and it served as the harsh reminder that Brees didn’t win a single MVP during his all-time great career.

"Difficult as it is to fathom, future Hall of Famer Drew Brees, a Super Bowl winner and owner of a gold mine of statistical splendor, doesn’t have an MVP on his resume."

- Grant Gordon (NFL.com)

Drew Brees never winning an MVP award is still hard to believe

What makes this incredibly hard to believe is the fact that Brees played quarterback, the position that MVP is essentially made for, and the reality that Brees had several all-time great seasons. During his time in New Orleans, he led the league in passing yards seven times and passing touchdowns four times— those overlapped in three seasons. Still, that wasn’t enough to get Brees an MVP award.

He won two Offensive Player of the Year awards (2008 and 2011), was First-team All-Pro in 2006, and made 13 Pro Bowls. Additionally, his numbers actually contributed to winning, leading the Saints to the playoffs nine times. But for some reason, voters never felt Brees was worthy of an MVP award.

In 2006, when Brees was First-team All-Pro, his former teammate LaDainian Tomlinson won the award. In 2008 and 2011, when Brees was named Offensive Player of the Year, Peyton Manning and Aaron Rodgers were given the award.

Ultimately, the MVP is just an award that other people vote on; it, in no way, validates or takes away from what actually transpired on the field. It’s just hard to believe with all Drew Brees did do on the field, he doesn’t have a single MVP award.

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