SAN FRANCISCO — No one is more excited to see Drew Brees go into the Pro Football Hall of Fame than Tyler Shough.
As one of five finalists for the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award, the New Orleans Saints rookie quarterback will be in the audience at the Palace of Fine Arts for the NFL Honors show Thursday night, where Brees is expected to be introduced as one of the members of the Class of 2026.
“It’s going to be special just to be in the building,” Shough said during an interview Wednesday, shortly after arriving here for Super Bowl LX festivities. “I grew up idolizing his play, so I’m excited about seeing him get the highest honor in the sport.”
The official announcement of the class will be made during NFL Honors, but Brees is considered a shoo-in as the league’s second-leading all-time passer. If he earns induction, as expected, he’ll become the initial first-ballot Hall of Famer in franchise history.
“I know he’s going to get in,” Shough said. “He’s the G.O.A.T. He’s the pinnacle of the quarterback position. For me, as a quarterback, it’s exciting to see because I know what he’s meant to the city (of New Orleans).”
Shough said he plans to organize offseason workouts with some of his Saints teammates and Brees this offseason near the former Saints quarterback’s home in San Diego. He said he contacted Brees during the season to pick his brain for counsel and tips about his weekly routine and preparation regimen. He has studied game tape of Brees from his playing days in New Orleans and marveled at his leadership skills, field generalship and command of the offense.
“The first thing that caught my eye was his ability to collectively unify people, whether it’s with pregame speeches or whatever,” Shough said. “Then to watch him during games, clicking through his reads and finding positive plays and check-downs, it’s impressive to watch. As a quarterback, you realize how special he is.”
Shough wasn’t the only one here celebrating Brees’ induction. Two of his former teammates, Demario Davis and Ben Watson, also championed his candidacy during interviews at the Super Bowl LX media center.
“There’s only one Drew Brees,” Davis said. “No. 9 — the greatest to ever do it. You could be talking all day about his accolades, and what he’s done as a passer. I don’t know if there’ll ever be a passer that does the amount of things in a game that he was able to do in his career, overcoming a rough injury early in his career to go on to have the type of Hall of Fame career that he did, the way he lifted that franchise. It’s just not enough good words that can be said about him.”
Davis teamed with Brees in New Orleans for the final four years of his career. During that time, the Saints won four division titles and recorded double-digit wins each season. Davis said Brees was a role model for him and his teammates.
“The type of man he is, the type of leader he is, the type of husband and father that he is, the type of community champion that he is, he did everything the right way,” Davis said. “It’s a storybook ending for him to be able to go into the Hall of Fame.”
Watson echoed Davis’ sentiments. The veteran tight end signed with the Saints as a free agent in 2013 after nine seasons with the Patriots and Browns. He played four seasons with Brees and credited him and head coach Sean Payton with resurrecting his career.
“He was already the commander in chief of one of the best passing offenses the league had known, but what I didn’t know was how we would connect as teammates,” Watson said. “I got there, but I got exponentially better at my craft being in New Orleans. Those three years gave me an opportunity to play more the rest of my career.”
Watson, who played with Tom Brady for several years in New England, said Brees deserves to be ranked among the game’s all-time greats.
“When you look at his body of work, at how excellent he was at his craft, and then outside of that, what he meant for the city and also what he meant for just the National Football League, that’s why he’s going into the Hall of Fame,” Watson said. “Drew led by example, every single play, every single practice. When you look at this body of work in that offense and who he is and what he’s done outside of the game. He’ll always be one of the top players of all-time in my book.”
