Drew Brees became the NFL's all-time passing leader in the Saints' win over the Redskins on Monday night, a remarkable distinction when you consider Brees isn't necessarily a lock to be considered one of the top three quarterbacks of his era. Brees, 39, has won a Super Bowl MVP, was twice the NFL Offensive Player of the Year, and now has thrown for more yards than any player in history, but when it comes time to put Brees' career in context, it's not so simple, as our weekly text exchange with NFL Network's Ian Rapoport can attest.
Indeed, while the 39-year-old Brees' record is at least in part a reflection of his longevity, it also could be a function of the NFL continuing to tilt its playing field in the favor of quarterbacks. We've discussed with Rapoport already the controversy that has arisen from the surplus of early season penalties for roughing the passer, which has made life tough on defenders, and presumably opened the field up for QBs like Brees.
Incidentally, with a 9 handicap, Brees made Golf Digest's ranking of the top athlete golfers released on Tuesday. He still lags behind the likes of Matt Ryan (+1.2), Aaron Rodgers (4.3) or Brady (8), but he does boast one competitive experience the others can't. Brees was a participant in the final Golf Digest Challenge at Pebble Beach, when three celebrity golfers and a contest winner played the course under U.S. Open conditions just days before the national championship. Brees shot 102, but his willingness to even try underscores how popular golf is in the NFL.