Is Drew Brees a Top 10 QB of all time?

[ET80]

Yes.

[lancerman]

This has been my top 5 for quite awhile. Note this is strictly Super Bowl era. Not counting Graham or Baugh. 

1. Brady

2. Montana

3. Manning

4. Unitas

5. Marino 

After that I typically have Favre/Young in some order. Then Staubach. I willing to put Brees between those two spots maybe.Maybe he's even 6 if he breaks those records and keeps them awhile.

[tom cody]

Yeah he is. Right now I have him behind Brady, Unitas, Peyton Manning, Graham, Elway, Young, Favre and Marino so #9 all time.

[lancerman]

Just now, tom cody said:

Yeah he is. Right now I have him behind Brady, Unitas, Peyton Manning, Graham, Elway, Young, Favre and Marino so #9 all time.

Did you forget Montana

[Kiwibrown]

Manning, Brady, montana, Unitas, Graham, Stauchback, Young, Rodgers, Farve, and Rothelsberger are a head of him IMO. 

[showtime]

9 hours ago, Pugger said:

Is Brees better than Favre, Elway, Marino, Baugh, Staubach, Starr, Young or Kelly?  I am a big Brees fan but I don't know if he's top 10 in league history.  I'd put him in 11-15 for sure.

I would take Drew Brees over all those guys.  In my opinion, Brees is just a better QB than both Brett Favre and John Elway.  I'd also take him over Staubach and Starr as well.  Jim Kelly?   He's not even in the conversation with a player of Brees' caliber.

[showtime]

There aren't 5 QB's that have ever played this game that I would take over Drew Brees if I'm starting a team

[Pugger]

1 hour ago, showtime said:

I would take Drew Brees over all those guys.  In my opinion, Brees is just a better QB than both Brett Favre and John Elway.  I'd also take him over Staubach and Starr as well.  Jim Kelly?   He's not even in the conversation with a player of Brees' caliber.

Well, that's the beauty of a forum like this.  Everyone has their opinion.

[El Ramster]

Lord no. Stat padding machine. 

[patriotsheatyan]

I voted no hesitantly. I suspect that the primary reason this is lopsided is because Brees is still playing. When it comes down to it he is only 4th best in his own era, which is about 15% of NFL history.

It is obvious that Manning, Brady, and Rodgers are better in today’s game. It is also obvious that Montana, Unitas, Graham, Baugh, and Luckman are better. That drops him to ninth. 

Then you have Marino breaking almost every record and getting an MVP, which is superior to Brees IMO. Some people even argued Marino was the GOAT, albeit a minority, after he retired which also lends credit to the idea of him being better than Brees given that nobody has ever argued Brees as the GOAT. 

Favre had broken every major career statistic by the time he retired, along with three MVPs and at least comparable post season success. To me this places Favre above Brees overall and drops Brees out of the top ten.

Then you have others like Staubach, Starr, Elway, Young, Layne, Jurgensen, Tittle, Griese, and Blanda who have important accolades Brees lacks (MVPs, all pros, championships). 

 

Brees being voted “yes” by 90% is probably just a reflection of the times. In 50 years Brady and Manning will likely be the only QBs who have played up to this point who will even be discussed for something like this, while Unitas and Montana are removed from living memory. We will have solidly HoF QBs who aren’t really regarded as a serious contender for GOAT regarded as superior to Montana or Unitas by then for the same reason why Brees is regarded more highly then previous GOAT candidates now. 

[Breesus mode]

13 hours ago, patriotsheatyan said:

I voted no hesitantly. I suspect that the primary reason this is lopsided is because Brees is still playing. When it comes down to it he is only 4th best in his own era, which is about 15% of NFL history.

Yeah, its his fault he played with the arguable GOAT,  top 3 QB of all time the most talented QB , and the most talented QB to ever play at the same time as him. Never mind during their primes Brees was just as good.

It is obvious that Manning, Brady, and Rodgers are better in today’s game. It is also obvious that Montana, Unitas, Graham, Baugh, and Luckman are better. That drops him to ninth. 

Its not nearly as obvious as you think, in their primes he was equal. Montana I'll give you, the rest you have no clue about and can't be compared to or ranked against Brees. They played far too ;long ago in an almost completely different game. So, that leaves him at worst 5th, and at this point Rodgers hasn't played quite long enough yet.

Then you have Marino breaking almost every record and getting an MVP, which is superior to Brees IMO.

Never mind that Brees has broken those records, and that Brees got robbed in 2009. (2011 really isn't a debate with Godgers). And brees actually managed to get a ring and SBMVP, which Marino never did.

Some people even argued Marino was the GOAT, albeit a minority, after he retired which also lends credit to the idea of him being better than Brees given that nobody has ever argued Brees as the GOAT. 

Completely ridiculous, and wrong. People making a wrong argument then doesn't make it a valid argument now. And they said he was the best pure passer of all time, which is not GOAT. And again, not Brees' fault his prime happened smack dab in the middle of the GOAT's prime, a top 3 QB all time, and the most talented QB of all time.

Favre had broken every major career statistic by the time he retired, along with three MVPs and at least comparable post season success.

This is pure revisionist history. Favre got those records purely by longevity, and was called a playoff choker, and has horrible stats. While Brees' post-season stats blow Favre's out of the water. And they have the exact same number of super bowls. 

To me this places Favre above Brees overall and drops Brees out of the top ten.

At the very worst they are equal. Brees' peak is equal to Favre's peak, and Brees is significantly better in the post-season.

Then you have others like Staubach, Starr, Elway, Young, Layne, Jurgensen, Tittle, Griese, and Blanda who have important accolades Brees lacks (MVPs, all pros, championships). 

You can't possibly argue for the bolded. Unless you were alive when they played you have nothing to go off of other than stats. And there is zero point in ccomparing Brees' stats and theirs. And there is no way you can argue Elway over Brees. He doesn't have bulk or efficiency to be argued. And rings aren't enough to make up the difference. Young I can see an argument for. And Staubach has no argument. 

Brees being voted “yes” by 90% is probably just a reflection of the times. In 50 years Brady and Manning will likely be the only QBs who have played up to this point who will even be discussed for something like this, while Unitas and Montana are removed from living memory. We will have solidly HoF QBs who aren’t really regarded as a serious contender for GOAT regarded as superior to Montana or Unitas by then for the same reason why Brees is regarded more highly then previous GOAT candidates now. 

No, its a reflection of his skill and his level of play

Try harder. You can definitively list Montana, Brady, and Manning above him. Although I don't think Rodgers or Young quite have the longevity to be firmly above Brees, you can put both above Brees. And Brees should be ahead of Favre. So that puts him at #6.

[Breesus mode]

15 hours ago, El ramster said:

Lord no. Stat padding machine. 

Why you trollin Rammy?

[Pugger]

1 hour ago, Breesus mode said:

Try harder. You can definitively list Montana, Brady, and Manning above him. Although I don't think Rodgers or Young quite have the longevity to be firmly above Brees, you can put both above Brees. And Brees should be ahead of Favre. So that puts him at #6.

You don't think Starr, Staubach, Elway and/or Marino are better than Brees?  You say you can't put Marino above Brees because he doesn't have a ring or MVP but later say Starr and Elway having rings isn't enough to put them ahead.  You can't have it both ways.  I am a big Brees fan but I'd put him at around 12 or 13th in league history.  Just because a player played in a past era you can't dismiss what they did against their peers at the time.   Stats are great but numbers are not the only measurement of a QB.

[Breesus mode]

1 hour ago, Pugger said:

You don't think Starr, Staubach, Elway and/or Marino are better than Brees?  You say you can't put Marino above Brees because he doesn't have a ring or MVP but later say Starr and Elway having rings isn't enough to put them ahead.  You can't have it both ways.  I am a big Brees fan but I'd put him at around 12 or 13th in league history.  Just because a player played in a past era you can't dismiss what they did against their peers at the time.   Stats are great but numbers are not the only measurement of a QB.

I didn't say rings didn't matter, I said they weren't enough to make up the huge difference in their level of play. Bit of a difference. Brees' peak is higher than Marino and has more post season success than Marino. Bree doesn't have the post season success of Elway or Starr., but his peak was significantly higher than either. Yes I can, Starr, Unitas, etc.. played so long ago and in such a completely different era that there is zero point in comparing them to modern QB. 

[Pugger]

3 hours ago, Breesus mode said:

I didn't say rings didn't matter, I said they weren't enough to make up the huge difference in their level of play. Bit of a difference. Brees' peak is higher than Marino and has more post season success than Marino. Bree doesn't have the post season success of Elway or Starr., but his peak was significantly higher than either. Yes I can, Starr, Unitas, etc.. played so long ago and in such a completely different era that there is zero point in comparing them to modern QB. 

No, you can't compare QBs from past eras so you compare them to their peers at the time and what they did when they played.  It would be fun to bring back Marino in his prime today and see how he would fare.  I suspect he'd be even better than he was when he played because of the changes in the passing game.  At his peak when he was winning SBs Starr's QB rating was over 100 decades before the changes in the passing game we enjoy today.  His play is a major reason why the Packers won 3 NFL championships in a row and the first 2 SBs.  The Packer teams in the early 60s were better than those that won SBs.   If you google top 10 QBs in league history Elway is usually listed high on those lists.  Brees often is a honorary mention.

As I said, I like Brees.  I remember watching him tear up the Big Ten when he was at Purdue.  I knew he'd be a good one.  I just don't think he's a top 10 QB in the history of the league.  He is probably just on the outside looking in and that is in no way disparaging him in the least.  His legacy is intact and will be an unanimous first ballot HOFer.  We are so lucky to be able to watch players like him today.