Hall of Famer Drew Brees thinks it is only a matter of time before a few of his veteran quarterback peers from his draft class receive the highest honor the NFL can bestow: a spot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Brees caught up with TMZ Sports during Super Bowl weekend and shared his perspective on future Hall of Fame inductees.
The former Saints quarterback, who himself is entering the Hall of Fame Class of 2026, was candid about veterans he expects will eventually take the stage in Canton, Ohio, and be honored with bronze busts. He made it clear that a number of players from his era deserve to be enshrined, specifically Eli Manning and Philip Rivers.
Drew Brees thinks Eli Manning and Bill Belichick belong in Canton
“Certainly [Eli] is one of them. Belichick is one of them. Rivers is one of them,” Brees said. “You have all these guys that at some point, their time is going to come.”
After discussing the Hall of Fame futures of his quarterback peers, Drew Brees shifted the conversation to Bill Belichick, who was snubbed in his first year of eligibility.
“I think we would all acknowledge that Belichick deserves to be here. We are not the voters, you know, so I think what we are going to do is focus on the class that is here,” Brees said.
For Brees, being inducted into the Hall of Fame is “incredible,” but the legendary quarterback says that being honored is not the most important part of his legacy.
“I would rather my family have it,” Brees said, referring to the gold jacket that comes with induction.
He added that football, while a big part of his life, does not define him.
“Football does not define you. Being in the Hall of Fame does not define you. What defines you is your faith, family, and your spirit,” he concluded.
Drew Brees Says Eli Manning, Philip Rivers Will Be Hall of Famers https://t.co/EDDaQtsxIU
pic.twitter.com/TPkAORyOaE— TMZ (@TMZ) February 14, 2026
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