The Pro Football Hall of Fame released its list of potential 2026 inductees and one name is quite familiar to Saints fans: Drew Brees. For years, the talented quarterback led the Saints on playoff runs and, of course, the legendary 2010 Super Bowl win. Saints Play-by-Play Analyst, Mike Hoss, thinks Brees’ chances of landing in the Hall of Fame on the first ballot are quite high. “I think I would just go get the jacket fitted now to save some time,” Hoss mused. The Saints analyst says that, while New Orleanians will (of course) be biased toward Drew being inducted on the first ballot, Brees’ numbers speak for themselves. “Obviously you would’ve loved to have another Super Bowl win … but second all-time in passing yards, second all-time in TD’s, he threw for over 5,000 yards four times. There are so many accolades on his resume,” Hoss explained.
Almost as impressive as Brees’ numbers themselves are when the quarterback put up those numbers, Hoss also points out. “When he was on the decline, in three of his last four years in the NFL, he led the NFL in completion percentage. That's when his shoulder was banged up. His numbers will stack up against anyone. That resume stands on its own,” added Hoss.
Could Drew Brees be a first-ballot Hall of Famer? We’ll find out in February of next year when the class is officially announced. One thing is for certain, however: Brees being inducted would be impactful for the entire Saints fan base, especially those in New Orleans. “It would mean a lot because, first of all, you could use some good news when the team is struggling. But, beyond the numbers and stats, Brees was the poster child for the rebuild of the city after Hurricane Katrina. When you’re trying to recruit someone to move their family down here, it wasn’t easy. For him to put his stakes in the ground and call New Orleans ‘home’ and raise his children here … I’ve never seen anyone bond with the community as fast and strong as Drew did,” Hoss notes.
That unique bond goes beyond football and even New Orleanians who don’t follow the NFL are aware of the QB’s legacy in the Crescent City. Could “Hall of Fame Quarterback” be the next feather in Brees’ cap? The sports world (and NOLA) will find out soon enough.