Why Drew Brees is in rare club of Hall of Fame QBs to never win NFL MVP award

Drew Brees was at one point the NFL's all-time leader in touchdown passes and passing yards. He's won a Super Bowl, and he's the most recognizable player in Saints history.

Now a Hall of Famer after earning enshrinement in his first year of eligibility, Brees has accomplished everything a football player can hope to accomplish — with one key exception.

Brees was the odd man out in more than a few MVP races while playing in an era of legendary quarterbacks, leaving one section of his trophy case empty.

Here's a closer look at Brees' history with the MVP award.

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Did Drew Brees win NFL MVP?

Brees never won an NFL MVP award despite at one point leading the NFL in all-time touchdowns and yards through the air.

Brees led the NFL in passing yards seven times and in touchdown passes four times. He didn't win an MVP award in any of those seasons, including one that ended in a Super Bowl MVP award.

Quarterbacks to win an MVP award in the 21st century include Rich Gannon, Cam Newton, Steve McNair and Matt Ryan. Brees left no doubt he was a better quarterback at his peak than those players, but the race never broke his way.

Even during some of his stronger seasons, the Saints' record hurt Brees case. New Orleans' defense cratered during the mid-2010s and effectively took Brees out of the running for MVP given how rare it is for a quarterback with single-digit wins to compete for the NFL's top award.

Here's a look at the closest Brees came to an MVP award and why he fell short.

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Hall of Fame QBs who never won MVP

It may be surprising that Brees never won an MVP award, but he's hardly alone as a Hall of Fame quarterback without one. Eight other quarterbacks have a gold jacket without an MVP trophy:

Of those eight, three are Hall of Famers despite never winning an MVP or a Super Bowl: Fouts, Kelly and Moon. Here's why Brees is a tier above that trio.

Who won the MVP over Drew Brees?

2006: LaDainian Tomlinson

Brees was the quarterback of the All-Pro First Team in his first season with the Saints, which usually corresponds with an MVP award, but a quarterback didn't win MVP in 2006. The award instead went to Chargers RB LaDainian Tomlinson, who exploded for 2,323 scrimmage yards and 31 total touchdowns. Brees' numbers didn't jump off the page like that, and he finished second in a blowout race against Tomlinson.

2009: Peyton Manning

The 2009 season was all about the dominance of the Saints and Colts, and quarterbacks were at the heart of it. Brees was excellent, completing 70.6 percent of passes for 4,388 yards, 34 touchdowns and 11 interceptions, but he lost handily to Peyton Manning, who threw for 4,500 yards, 33 touchdowns and 16 interceptions. Saints fans believe the race should have been closer. Not only were Brees and Manning similar statistically, but both lost only two games. Brees got the last laugh, defeating Manning and the Colts in Super Bowl 44.

2011: Aaron Rodgers

Brees dominated in 2011, throwing for a then-record 5,476 yards along with 46 touchdowns and 14 interceptions for a 13-win Saints team, but no one was beating Aaron Rodgers. The Packers star led Green Bay to a 15-1 record, throwing for 45 touchdowns and just six interceptions. Brees' yards advantage, on more than 150 additional pass attempts, wasn't nearly enough to close the gap with Rodgers putting together one of the best quarterback seasons in NFL history.

2018: Patrick Mahomes

Brees refused to give into Father Time in 2018, putting together a brilliant age-39 season with 3,992 yards, 32 touchdowns and just five interceptions for a 13-win Saints team. He received nine of 50 MVP votes, but the remaining 41 understandably went to Patrick Mahomes in the Chiefs star's first season as a starter. Mahomes threw for 5,097 yards, 50 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in year one, lighting the NFL on fire with his unbelievable throws. Both of their seasons would end in heartbreak on conference championship weekend, but it was a particularly devastating ending for Brees given his age. 

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Drew Brees' best seasons

Here's a look at three of Brees' best seasons and best chances at the MVP award:

While Brees didn't earn an MVP, he would undoubtedly take the Super Bowl MVP he earned at the end of the 2009 season over any regular season award.

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Did Drew Brees win a Super Bowl?

Brees won Super Bowl 44 with the Saints, defeating Manning and the Colts 31-17.

It was a matchup of heavyweights, as the Saints started the 2009 season 13-0 while the Colts opened 14-0. Neither could complete an unbeaten regular season, but both rolled to the Super Bowl matchup so many had expected for months.

The difference between the two was supposed to be the fact that the Colts had been there before. Indianapolis won the Super Bowl three years earlier and entered as a moderate favorite.

After a gutsy onside kick by Sean Payton to start the second half, the Saints started to assert themselves and ultimately took the lead for the final time on a Brees touchdown pass to Jeremy Shockey in the fourth quarter. Manning had a prime opportunity to go down the field for a game-tying touchdown drive, but the drive and the Colts' season ended when Tracy Porter picked him off and returned it for a touchdown to extend New Orleans' lead to an insurmountable 31-17.

Brees earned Super Bowl MVP honors for the first championship of his career and in Saints history.