Drew Brees is a first-ballot Hall of Famer.
The former Chargers quarterback was announced as a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame's Class of 2026 on Thursday evening at NFL Honors. Brees was eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame for the first time.
Brees, who spent the majority of his career with the Saints, was a 2001 second-round pick by the Chargers and started 58 games for the Bolts.
Brees played in one game (with no starts) as a rookie in 2001 before starting all 16 games in 2002 while leading the Chargers to an 8-8 record.
He was then the Bolts starting quarterback for the next three seasons, highlighted by a Pro Bowl season in 2004 that saw him throw for 3,159 yards with 27 touchdowns and just seven interceptions.
Brees ranks second all-time with 80,358 passing yards and 571 touchdown passes.
Philip Rivers, who was among 26 semifinalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, is no longer eligible since he returned to action for the Colts in the final month of the 2025 season.
An eight-time Pro Bowler, Rivers holds more than 30 Chargers records and led the Bolts to four straight AFC West titles from 2006-09. And, of course, there are his 224 consecutive starts at quarterback.
