New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees took a big tumble in ESPN.com’s 2015 NFL player rankings, down to 34th overall and eighth among quarterbacks.
That’s way too low for Brees, who ranked sixth among all offensive players and third among QBs last year. But it’s the latest example of Brees’ “What Have You Done For Me Lately?” summer. He also dropped to 30th on the NFL Network top 100 and was ranked sixth among quarterbacks in ESPN Insider Mike Sando’s poll of NFL coaches and executives, among other slights.
I understand why Brees’ star is falling. He’s 36 years old, his team was 7-9 last season and he had a down year with 20 turnovers (17 interceptions and three lost fumbles, some in critical moments).
Still, I think it’s overkill to drop Brees below Ben Roethlisberger, Tony Romo and Russell Wilson, among others. I think Brees belongs in the same tier with Andrew Luck (No. 12 overall) and Peyton Manning (No. 19). The ESPN rankings were determined by a panel of 71 voters, including ESPN analysts and reporters, ESPN Stats & Info experts and analysts from partner sites Pro Football Focus and Football Outsiders.
Brees still tied for the NFL lead with 4,952 passing yards last season and ranked second with a 69.2 completion percentage. The turnovers and lack of big plays were his two biggest killers. As I’ve written often this summer, Brees tried to force things while facing more pressure up front than usual and often playing from behind. Brees also recently revealed that he was more bothered by injuries last year than he let on, which allowed his throwing mechanics to suffer.
But those will all sound like excuses unless Brees regains his form on the field. The entire team is in the same boat – Brees is the only Saints player ranked in the entire top 100 this year, tied for second-fewest among all NFL teams.
It’s fair to suggest that Brees is past his “prime." But I think it’s realistic that he could approach another season like he just had in 2013 (5,162 yards, 39 touchdowns, 12 interceptions) if the Saints clean up the defense and offensive line.