After being let go by the San Diego Chargers, quarterback Drew Brees found a home with the New Orleans Saints back in 2006. Photo courtesy of Canal Street Chronicles.
It was the year 2006, and the New Orleans Saints had gotten new leadership. Sean Payton was hired to become the team’s new head coach. The new regime’s number one priority was to find a guy that can be their quarterback of the future. In previous years, Aaron Brooks was the man under center for the Black and Gold.
He had enormous potential to become one of the league’s best signal callers, but unfortunately, it never came to fruition. Saints fans would only see flashes of the greatness that Aaron Brooks possessed. Stepping in his place would be Drew Brees, a quarterback that had huge upsides dating back to his year’s at Purdue University. He was able to lead the Chargers to the playoffs in his second season under center, but the team had other plans going forward.
The Chargers would select Philip Rivers out of the North Carolina State University to be the quarterback paired with Hall of Fame running back LaDainian Tomlinson. However, the Drew Brees era would officially end in San Diego after he tore his labrum while trying to recover his own fumble against the Denver Broncos. During the 2006 free agency period, Brees would sign with the New Orleans Saints and the rest was history.
Three seasons later the Saints would go on to win the Super Bowl and would continue to have much success under the leadership of Drew Brees. The Drew Brees signing has to be one most significant free agent acquisitions in all of the professional team sports. The Drew Brees signing goes ahead of the Green Bay Packer’s signing of Reggie White from the Philadelphia Eagles back in 1993.
Similar to Brees signing with New Orleans, Reggie White was able to help guide the Packers to numerous Super Bowl appearances with a championship title included. But that’s where the comparison between the two stops. Drew Brees signed with a team that was not a known destination for free agents to be a part of before his years of dominance in a Saints uniform.
Drew Brees, along with Sean Payton, was able to change the entire culture of an organization that had become so accustomed to losing under previous regimes. Before Brees had arrived in New Orleans, the idea of having future Hall of Fame quarterback playing in a Saints uniform was unheard of, it was only a fantasy at best. Before Payton and Brees arrived, an 8-8 or even a 7-9 season was considered a successful campaign for Saints fans to endure.
Those types of years were viewed as signs of hope that the team would be better the following season, but they would eventually take a step backward. These days the Saints are now considered a top draw in the National Football League. Under Payton and Brees, the team has appeared on many primetime events such as Monday Night Football and other must-see NFL matchups at night. Whoever takes over for Drew in the future will have enormous shoes to fill that’s for sure.
Where Does Drew Brees Rank as All-Time Free Agent Signing?
Within one season LeBron James was able to help turnaround the fortunes of the Cleveland Cavalier when he returned in 2014.
The signing of Drew Brees goes right behind the decision of LeBron James re-joining the Cleveland Cavaliers which resulted in the team winning their first NBA title. When LeBron signed with the Cavaliers back in 2014, the team selected players through the lottery round of the NBA Draft. With the signing of LeBron James, the Cleveland Cavaliers become one of the NBA’s most valuable franchises.
He was able to lead the team to four consecutive NBA Finals appearances which include a championship title. If it were not for the injured that he suffered in the middle of the 2018-2019 season, the Lakers would have probably qualified for the postseason. When you talk about all-time significant free agent acquisitions in professional team sports, you cannot leave out Drew Brees out of the conversation.
Top Signings During the Modern Free Agency Era.
1. LeBron James signs with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
2. Drew Brees joins the New Orleans Saints
3. Reggie White joins the Green Bay Packers
4. Peyton Manning signs with the Denver Broncos after being released by the Indianapolis Colts.
