Darren Sproles was a rookie on the San Diego Chargers in 2005, Drew Brees' final season with the team. The three-time Pro Bowler had a chance to reunite with Brees for 2011-2013 in New Orleans as well, so if anyone is qualified to speak on the greatness of the future Hall of Famer, it's Sproles.
In a recent Bleacher Report "Ask Me Anything," a user asked Sproles "where do you think Brees stands in the GOAT conversation?"
Sproles' response was rather simple: "In my eyes, he's the best to me. I got the chance to play with him and really see how he prepares, like every week. In my eyes, he's the best!"
Following a Divisional Round postseason loss to Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, many expect Brees to announce his retirement. We're still waiting on official confirmation of that, but Brees' arm strength has declined in recent years, and the expectation for much of the 2020 season was that the 42-year-old would walk away after his 20th NFL campaign.
With Brees' career potentially completed, he's pretty universally viewed as one of the 10 greatest quarterbacks in NFL history, though from there, assessments on his career vary.
Statistically, Brees would retire as one of the five most dominant quarterbacks the league has ever seen, as he's currently first in NFL history in passing yards and second in passing touchdowns.
That said, he did have the benefit of playing in Sean Payton's offense, and given the rule changes that took place during the course of Brees' career, it's not exactly fair to compare his total passing yards to all-time greats from other eras, like Johnny Unitas and Joe Montana.
It's also interesting to debate where Brees fits among the quarterbacks in his own era. It's almost impossible to make a case that he tops Tom Brady at this stage, but he certainly tops peers like Philip Rivers and Ben Roethlisberger. It's difficult to make that case with Peyton Manning, though there's at least a discussion to be had about how Brees' career stacks up against Brett Favre, and how we'll ultimately view him when contrasted with the totality of Russell Wilson's career.
The most intriguing debate may be between Brees and Aaron Rodgers. Brees will walk away from the sport with quite a few passing records, but zero NFL MVP Awards. Rodgers is expected to win his third league MVP in 2020, and shows no signs of slowing down. Rodgers is certainly more physically gifted than Brees, and may be the most talented quarterback in NFL history. But does that mean - especially when you consider that Rodgers sat behind Favre for three years - his legacy is already superior to Brees? It depends on who you ask.
Still, Sproles has also played with Rivers, Michael Vick, Nick Foles and Carson Wentz all while they were playing at a high level. For him to be this complimentary of Brees gives you an idea of how respected he is in the sport.
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