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Legendary quarterback Drew Brees will be inducted into the New Orleans Saints Hall of Fame this season, the team announced Thursday.
Brees spent 15 years with the Saints, leading the team to its only Super Bowl in franchise history and taking home Super Bowl MVP in 2009. He collected 80,358 passing yards and 571 touchdowns across his career, most of those being in a New Orleans uniform.
Along with Brees, the Saints will induct gameday press box public address announcer Doug Moreau into their Hall of Fame.
Brees, who signed with the Saints ahead of the 2006 season, had high praise for both the Saints organization and the city of New Orleans for the way it welcomed him.
“The 15 years I spent here from ’06 to ’20 were some of the best years of my life,” Brees said. “My wife Brittney and I were embraced by this city, by this organization, by Mrs. Benson and by the unbelievable staff… This is a tremendous honor and I’m so grateful to everybody here and forever will be. Once a Saint, always a Saint. And I will be living and dying with the team every Sunday, as most of you will as well.”
New Orleans Saints @Saints
Opening statement from @DrewBrees on his #Saints Hall of Fame announcement: pic.twitter.com/IupmXEuUo7
Brees joined New Orleans after spending the first five seasons of his career with the then-San Diego Chargers. His arrival came after Hurricane Katrina devastated the city. In his press conference, Brees recalled driving through the city amidst the damage and thinking about the unique opportunity he had to join the Saints.
“That was when we felt the true calling, that we belonged here,” Brees said. “Not many opportunities in life do you get the chance to be a part of something so much greater than yourself. It was about resurrecting one of America’s greatest cities, and we had the chance to be part of that and we’re forever changed.”
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Drew Brees on his free agency visit to New Orleans that changed his life forever: pic.twitter.com/wfEfS4y0Be
Brees spent most of his time in New Orleans with Sean Payton, now the Denver Broncos head coach. While speaking about Brees’ honor, Payton said that maybe Week 7, when the Broncos play the Saints, could be the game Brees is inducted into the Hall of Fame.
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Sean Payton on Drew Brees going into the Saints Hall of Fame.
Payton said maybe Week 7, when Payton and the Broncos play in New Orleans, will be the game Brees officially goes in the Hall of Fame. pic.twitter.com/IYBUMjLZhK
While Brees will be honored by the Saints Hall of Fame, he still has to wait to be inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame. Players must wait five seasons after their retirement to be Hall of Fame eligible, meaning Brees will be eligible following the 2024 season.
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