Drew Christopher Brees (/briːz/;[2] born January 15, 1979) is an American football quarterback for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL). After a successful college football career at Purdue University, he was chosen by the San Diego Chargers with the first pick in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He left college as one of the most decorated players in Purdue and Big Ten Conference history, establishing two NCAA records, 13 Big Ten Conference records, and 19 Purdue University records. As of 2018, he remains the Big Ten record-holder in several passing categories, including completions (1,026), attempts (1,678), and yards (11,792). For his many career accomplishments and records, Brees has been hailed as one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time.[3]
Brees earned the starting job with the Chargers in 2002 and made the Pro Bowl in 2004. Nine months after suffering a dislocation in his right shoulder joint and a tear of the labrum and rotator cuff, Brees signed with the Saints as a free agent in 2006. He had immediate success in New Orleans, eventually leading the Saints to their first Super Bowl in Super Bowl XLIV, resulting in a 31–17 victory over the Indianapolis Colts.
Since joining the Saints, he has led all NFL quarterbacks in touchdowns, passing yards, and 300-yard games. Brees holds the NFL records for career pass completions, career completion percentage, career passing yards, career touchdown passes, third in regular season career passer rating, and fourth in postseason career passer rating. In 2012, he broke Johnny Unitas' long-standing record of consecutive games with a touchdown pass. He has passed for over 5,000 yards in a season five times—no other NFL quarterback has done so more than once. He has led the NFL in passing yards a record seven times and in passing touchdowns a record-tying four times. He was the NFL's Comeback Player of the Year in 2004, the Offensive Player of the Year in 2008 and 2011, and the MVP of Super Bowl XLIV. Sports Illustrated named Brees its 2010 Sportsman of the Year.
Early life and high school
Brees was born in Dallas, Texas, to Eugene Wilson "Chip" Brees II, a prominent trial lawyer, and Mina Ruth (née Akins; died 2009), an attorney. His grandfather fought in the Battle of Okinawa.[4] A Sports Illustrated article stated he was named for Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Drew Pearson[5] but in a 2014 interview Brees said this story was "just legend".[6] He has a younger brother, Reid (born 1981). When Brees was seven, his parents divorced and shared custody of the boys, who split their time between both parents' homes. Today, he admits that it was a very tough and challenging life after the divorce; however, Brees and his younger brother, Reid, supported each other and became very close.[7] They have a younger half-sister, Audrey, from their father's remarriage to Amy Hightower, daughter of the late U.S. Representative (D-TX) Jack English Hightower.[8][9]
Both of Brees' parents had athletic backgrounds. His father played basketball for the Texas A&M Aggies men's basketball team, and his mother was a former all-state in three sports in high school.[10] His maternal uncle, Marty Akins, was an All-American starting quarterback for the Texas Longhorns college football team from 1975 to 1977[9][11] and his maternal grandfather, Ray Akins, had the third-most victories as a Texas high school football coach in his three decades at Gregory-Portland High School.[12][13][14] His younger brother, Reid, was an outfielder for the Baylor Bears baseball team, which made the 2005 College World Series and now resides in Colorado, where he works in sales.[11][15]
Brees did not play tackle football until high school and was on the flag football team at St. Andrew's Episcopal School, where his teammates included actor Ben McKenzie, who was in the same year. In high school, he was a varsity letterman in baseball, basketball and football[16] and was considering playing college baseball rather than football.[17] College recruiters quickly ran after Brees blew out his knee in the 11th grade.[7] After overcoming an ACL tear during his junior year he was selected as Texas High School 5A Most Valuable Offensive Player in 1996 and led the Westlake High School football team to 16–0 record and state championship.[9][18] As a high school football player, Brees completed 314 of 490 passes (64.1 percent) for 5,461 yards with 50 touchdowns including, in his senior season, 211 of 333 passes (63.4 percent) for 3,528 yards with 31 touchdowns.[19] Westlake went 28–0–1 when Brees started for two seasons and beat a Dominic Rhodes-led Abilene Cooper 55–15 in the 1996 title game.[12][19][20] He was given honorable mention in the state high school all-star football team and the USA Today All-USA high school football team[21] alongside former San Diego Chargers teammate and long-time friend LaDainian Tomlinson.[8][22][23] Brees had hoped to follow his father and uncle's footsteps and play for the Texas Longhorns or Texas A&M Aggies but was not heavily recruited despite his stellar record.[9][24]
College career
Brees received offers from only two colleges, Purdue and Kentucky, choosing Purdue for its highly rated academics.[10] He graduated in 2001 with a degree in industrial management,[25] and is a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity.[26]
After a relatively uneventful freshman season, Brees was given his first start during his sophomore year by Boilermakers head coach Joe Tiller and became an integral part of Tiller and Jim Chaney's unorthodox "basketball on grass" spread offense, serving as offensive captain during his junior and senior years.[27][28] He had the option to make himself available for the 2000 NFL Draft but chose to return for his senior year to complete his studies.[29] In 2000, he led the Boilermakers to memorable last-minute upsets against top-ranked Ohio State[30] and Michigan en route to the Boilermakers' first Big Ten championship (shared with Michigan and Northwestern) since 1967.[31] The Ohio State game was replayed on ESPN Classic and is widely remembered for Brees' four interceptions and 64-yard touchdown pass to Seth Morales with 1:55 remaining to seal a vital 31–27 win, prompting commentator Brent Musburger to exclaim "Holy Toledo!" and a post-game field rush afterwards.[32][33][34] Due to head-to-head victories over Michigan and Northwestern, Purdue won the invitation to the 2001 Rose Bowl,[35] Purdue's first appearance there since 1967, where Purdue lost by ten points to the Washington Huskies.
Brees was a finalist for the Davey O'Brien Award as the nation's best quarterback in 1999.[36] He won the Maxwell Award as the nation's outstanding player of 2000[37] and the NCAA's Today's Top VIII Award as a member of the Class of 2001.[38] Brees was also fourth in Heisman Trophy voting in 1999 and third in 2000.[39] As a senior, Brees became the first Boilermaker since Bruce Brineman in 1989 to earn Academic All-America honors.[40][41][42][43] Additionally, he won Academic All-Big Ten honors a record three times,[44] was initiated into Mortar Board[41] and awarded the Big Ten Medal of Honor[45] and the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Award.[46][47] Brees also was awarded Purdue's Leonard Wilson Award for unselfishness and dedication.[48]
In his college career, Brees set two NCAA records, 13 Big Ten Conference records, and 19 Purdue University records.[49] He left Purdue with Big Ten Conference records in passing yards (11,792),[16] touchdown passes (90), total offensive yards (12,693), completions (1,026), and attempts (1,678).[27] He tied an NCAA record with the 99-yard pass to receiver Vinny Sutherland against Northwestern on September 25, 1999 and held the NCAA record for pass attempts in a game (83) for fifteen years, until Washington State quarterback Connor Halliday broke it in October 2013.[50][51]
In 2009, Brees was inducted into Purdue's Intercollegiate Athletics Hall of Fame.[52] The Big Ten Conference's Griese–Brees Quarterback of the Year award initiated in 2011 was named in his and Bob Griese's honor.[53] He was named the Big Ten's best quarterback of the 1990s[54] and ranked number 48 on the 2010 documentary Big Ten Icons, featuring the conference's top fifty student-athletes
San Diego Chargers (2001–2005)
2001 NFL Draft
Brees' college success led to projections that he would be a mid–late first-round draft pick in the 2001 NFL Draft,[59] but he slipped due to concerns about his relatively short stature for a professional quarterback (6'), a perceived lack of arm strength, and a sense that he had succeeded in college in a spread offense. Brees was the second quarterback, behind Michael Vick of Virginia Tech, selected in the 2001 Draft, chosen by the San Diego Chargers as the first pick of the second round and 32nd overall.[60] San Diego originally had the first pick in that draft, but traded it to Atlanta (who drafted Vick) in return for the fifth pick of the first round; which San Diego drafted LaDainian Tomlinson.[60]
Early career
See also: 2001 San Diego Chargers season, 2002 San Diego Chargers season, and 2003 San Diego Chargers season
In his rookie season, Brees was the backup quarterback to Doug Flutie, who started all 16 games that season.[61] Brees played in his first professional game on November 4, 2001 against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 8. He came into the game to relieve Flutie, who had suffered a concussion.[62] He finished with 221 passing yards and his first career passing touchdown, a 20-yard pass to Freddie Jones.[63] The game against the Chiefs was Brees's lone appearance as a rookie
On August 19, 2002, he was named the starter for the 2002 season over Doug Flutie.[64] Brees started all 16 games for the Chargers. The season started off well for the Chargers with a 6–1 start, but faded down the stretch with a 2–7 record over the last nine games to finish 8–8.[65] He finished the 2002 season with 3,284 passing yards, 17 touchdowns, and 16 interceptions.[66]
In Week 4 of the 2003 season, Brees recorded a 21-yard touchdown reception on a pass thrown by LaDainian Tomlinson in the 34–31 overtime loss to the Oakland Raiders.[67] After a disappointing 1–7 start to the 2003 season, Brees replaced by Flutie, though he regained the job by Week 15.[68][69] In 11 games, he finished with 2,108 passing yards, 11 touchdowns, and 15 interceptions.[70]
2004 season
See also: 2004 San Diego Chargers season
Brees' career with the Chargers was in jeopardy after San Diego acquired NC State's Philip Rivers after the 2004 NFL Draft.[71] With a looming quarterback controversy, he performed well through training camp and the preseason, while Rivers held out during training camp, essentially guaranteeing him the job to begin the season with Rivers as his backup.[72]
Brees remained the starter throughout the 2004 season, where he started 15 games and led the team to a 12–4 regular season record.[73] In Week 8, against the Oakland Raiders, he was 22 of 25 for 281 yards and five touchdowns in the 42–14 victory to earn his first AFC Offensive Player of the Week honor.[74][75] Brees posted spectacular numbers, completing 65.5% of his passes for 3,159 yards, with 27 touchdowns to only seven interceptions, giving him a 104.8 passer rating.[76] The Chargers won the AFC West for the first time in 10 seasons and Brees was selected to the 2004 Pro Bowl.[77][78] He was named 2004 NFL Comeback Player of the Year.[79] In the Wild Card Round against the New York Jets, Brees had 319 passing yards, two passing touchdowns, and one interception in the 20–17 overtime loss.[80]
2005 season
See also: 2005 San Diego Chargers season
Brees became a free agent after the 2004 season and was not expected to return to San Diego, which had already committed a large sum of money to Rivers. The team eventually designated Brees a franchise player, giving him a one-year contract that quadrupled his pay to $8 million for 2005. Under the terms of the franchise player contract, Brees was eligible to be traded or to sign with another team, but the Chargers would receive two future first round draft choices in return. He was not traded and continued as the starting quarterback for the remainder of the 2005 season.[81]
After a 1–2 start, Brees helped lead a 41–17 victory over the New England Patriots. He was 19 of 24 for 248 passing yards and two touchdowns and earned AFC Offensive Player of the Week for the effort.[82][83] He posted a career-high in passing yards with 3,576. Brees also posted an 89.2 rating, 10th best in the NFL.[84][85] However, in the last game of the 2005 season against the Denver Broncos, Brees tore his labrum while trying to pick up his own fumble after being hit by Broncos safety John Lynch.[86] Denver tackle Gerard Warren hit Brees while he was on the ground, causing the injury.[87] Brees underwent arthroscopic surgery, performed by Dr. James Andrews, to repair the torn labrum in his right (throwing) shoulder on January 5, 2006.[88] Subsequent reports mentioned additional rotator cuff damage and he also was treated by Dr. Saby Szajowitz to recover and regain muscle movement.[89]
After the season, the Chargers offered Brees a 5-year, $50 million contract that paid $2 million in base salary the first year and the rest heavily based on performance incentives.[90]
New Orleans Saints (2006–present)
After the Chargers refused to increase their offer, Brees met with other teams. The New Orleans Saints and the Miami Dolphins were interested in Brees. New Orleans made an offer that included $10 million in guaranteed money the first year and a $12 million option the second year. Miami was unsure if Brees' shoulder was completely healed and doctors suggested the team should not sign him because of the injury.[91][92] The Dolphins ended negotiations and traded for Minnesota Vikings quarterback Daunte Culpepper instead.[93] Brees signed a 6-year, $60 million deal with the Saints on March 14, 2006.[94]
2006 season
See also: 2006 New Orleans Saints season
Brees had a productive first year with the Saints. The team, under first-year head coach Sean Payton, rebounded from its disastrous 2005 season (when the team was unable to play in New Orleans due to the damage caused by Hurricane Katrina and struggled to a 3–13 record) to finish with a 10–6 regular season record and won the NFC South division title.[95] On November 5, in the 31–14 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he had 314 passing yards and three touchdowns to earn his first NFC Offensive Player of the Week honor.[96][97] On November 19, in a 31–16 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals, he threw for a career-high 510 passing yards, two touchdowns, and three interceptions.[98] In Week 14, a 42–17 victory over the Dallas Cowboys, he had 384 passing yards and five touchdowns to earn his second NFC Offensive Player of the Week award in 2006.[99][100] Brees threw a league-leading and franchise record 4,418 passing yards, finished third in the league with 26 touchdown passes and 11 interceptions, and had a 96.2 passer rating.[101] Brees was named starting quarterback for the NFC in the 2007 Pro Bowl[102] and was named as a First-team All-Pro.[103] On January 5, 2007, Brees was named first runner-up behind former teammate Tomlinson for league MVP by the Associated Press.[104] Brees and Tomlinson were co-recipients of the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award.[105]
On January 13, 2007, in his first playoff game for New Orleans, Brees was 20–of–32 in passing attempts with one touchdown and no interceptions against the Philadelphia Eagles in the Divisional Round at the Louisiana Superdome.[106] The Saints held on to win 27–24, and advanced to the franchise's first NFC Championship Game against the Chicago Bears. Though he completed 27-of-49 passes for 354 yards against the Chicago Bears, and two touchdowns, Brees committed three costly turnovers, and was penalized for an intentional grounding in the endzone, resulting in a safety, as the Saints lost in the NFC Championship by a score of 39–14.[107] Brees dislocated his left elbow during the first quarter of the Pro Bowl.[108]
2007 season
See also: 2007 New Orleans Saints season
Brees's second season with the Saints started rough with an 0–4 start, with three losses by the Saints in that stretch by at least 17 points.[109][110][111] However, the Saints started a winning streak after Week 5. In Week 8, a 31–10 victory over the San Francisco 49ers, he had 336 passing yards and four touchdowns to earn NFC Offensive Player of the Week.[112][113] After the next game, a 41-24 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Saints were back at .500 with a 4-4 record.[114] In Week 15, a 31–24 victory over the Arizona Cardinals, he had 315 passing yards and two touchdowns to earn another NFC Offensive Player of the Week nod in 2007.[115][116] Overall, in the 2007 season, Brees passed for 4,423 yards, topped his own record and tied a then franchise record with 28 touchdowns.[117] He also set the NFL record previously held by Rich Gannon for pass completions in a single season with 440.[118] However, the Saints missed the playoffs with a 7–9 record
2008 season
Brees in 2008
See also: 2008 New Orleans Saints season
In 2008, the Saints again missed the playoffs but Brees had a strong year statistically, finishing 15 yards short of the NFL record for passing yards thrown in a single season set by Dan Marino in 1984.[120] In Week 6, a 34–3 victory over the Oakland Raiders, he was 26 of 30 for 320 yards and three touchdowns to earn NFC Offensive Player of the Week.[121][122] In Week 8, a 37–32 victory over the San Diego Chargers, he had 339 passing yards and three touchdowns to earn another NFC Offensive Player of the Week nod.[123][124] In Week 12, a 51–29 win over the Green Bay Packers, he had 323 passing yards and four touchdowns to earn his third NFC Offensive Player of the Week honor in 2008.[125][126] He finished the season with 5,069 yards and became the second quarterback in NFL history to throw for over 5,000 yards in a season.[127][128][129]
He passed for 300 yards ten times during the 2008 season, tying Rich Gannon's 2002 record. He was named FedEx Air Player of the Week for his performances during Weeks 8 and 12 and was named the AP 2008 Offensive Player of the Year.[130] He was named to his third career Pro Bowl for his 2008 season.[131]
Brees started to serve on the Executive Committee of the National Football League Players Association this season.[132] He remained on the committee through the 2014 season.[133][134]
2009 season: Super Bowl XLIV
See also: 2009 New Orleans Saints season
In the first game of the 2009 season against the Detroit Lions, Brees set a career-high and franchise-tying record with six touchdown passes, going 26 out of 34 for 358 yards. He earned NFC Offensive Player of the Week for his performance against the Lions.[135][136] The next week, Brees led the Saints to a 48–22 win over the Philadelphia Eagles, throwing for 311 yards and three touchdown passes.[137] Brees also tied the record for most touchdown passes by the end of Week 2 with nine touchdowns.[138] In Week 6 against the 5–0 New York Giants, Brees completed 23 of 30 passes for 369 yards, four touchdown passes, and a passer rating of 156.8 in a dominant 48–27 victory to his second NFC Offensive Player of the Week nod of the season.[139][140]
In Week 7, Brees led a dramatic comeback victory on the road against the Miami Dolphins, 46–34. The Saints quickly faced a 24–3 deficit in the second quarter, trailing for the first time all season at that point, and failing to score on their first possession as they had in all of their previous contests. Brees had a poor outing, but provided two crucial rushing touchdowns, one just before halftime to narrow the deficit to 24–10, and one in the third quarter to give the Saints their first lead of the game, 37–34.[141]
The next week, Brees threw for 308 yards on 25 of 33 passing along with two touchdowns and one interception in leading the Saints to a 35–27 victory and franchise tying best start at 7–0 against the rival Atlanta Falcons.[142] In week 9, Brees helped guide the team to a 30–20 victory over the Carolina Panthers. This was Brees's first victory over the Carolina Panthers in the Superdome and gave the Saints their best ever start in franchise history at 8–0.[143] In Week 12, Brees led the Saints to an 11–0 record, defeating the New England Patriots 38–17 on Monday Night Football. Brees totaled 371 yards passing, posting a perfect passer rating of 158.3, and became the first player to throw for five touchdowns against a team coached by Bill Belichick.[144] He earned his third NFC Offensive Player of the Week nod for the 2009 season.[145][146] After close victories over the Washington Redskins and Falcons in successive weeks to start 13–0, Brees and the Saints lost for the first time that season to the Dallas Cowboys, 24–17, after DeMarcus Ware caused a Brees fumble in the final seconds, ending a fourth quarter rally.[147] The Saints lost their last two games, with Brees sitting out the Week 17 finale against the Carolina Panthers.[148] Their 13–3 record secured the #1 seed in the NFC.[149]
Brees' individual statistics led to numerous accolades,[150] including a Pro Bowl selection, the Maxwell Football Club's Bert Bell Award, and runner-up in voting for the AP MVP, Offensive Player of the Year, and All-Pro awards.[151][152] He finished the season with a completion percentage of 70.62, establishing a new NFL record.[153][154]
In the Divisional Round, Brees recorded 247 passing yards and three touchdowns as the Saints routed the Arizona Cardinals 45–14. In the NFC Championship, The Saints defeated the Minnesota Vikings 31–28 in overtime. Brees completed 17 of 31 passes for 197 yards and three touchdowns.[155] The Saints defeated the Indianapolis Colts 31–17 in Super Bowl XLIV on February 7, 2010. Brees tied a Super Bowl record with 32 pass completions and won the Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Award. He threw for 288 yards and two touchdowns. It was the first league championship in Saints franchise history.[156] Brees was named the 2010 Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year, both for his winning the Super Bowl and his charitable work towards the reconstruction of New Orleans.[157] On December 17, 2010, he was named AP Male Athlete of the Year. Within four short years after joining the Saints, Brees was more accurate in his throws than any of the Saints' past quarterbacks.[155] Brees and his teammates were welcomed back to New Orleans with a blues band along with thousands of celebrating fans.
2010 season
See also: 2010 New Orleans Saints season
Brees started the 2010 season with 237 yards and one passing touchdown in a 14–9 win over the Minnesota Vikings in a rematch of the previous years' NFC Championship.[158] In Week 3, against the Atlanta Falcons, he threw for 365 yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions in a 27-24 loss.[159] In Week 11, against the Seattle Seahawks, he threw for a regular season-high 382 yards, four touchdowns, and two interceptions in a 34-19 victory.[160] In 2010, the Saints qualified for the playoffs with a 11–5 record, but were eliminated in the Wild Card Round by the Seattle Seahawks by a score of 41–36 in the Beast Quake game.[161] Brees finished with 404 passing yards and two passing touchdowns in the loss.[162] Brees was selected to his fifth Pro Bowl-fourth with the Saints.[163] Brees had a less successful season statistically, throwing a career-high 22 interceptions, tying the franchise record held by Aaron Brooks, although he managed to throw 33 touchdowns.[164] He was named to his fifth career Pro Bowl for his performance in 2010.[165] He was ranked ninth on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2011 players' list.[166]
2011 season
See also: 2011 New Orleans Saints season § Individual Records Set or Tied
The 2011 season was a record-breaking season for Brees as he led the NFL in completion percentage, passing yards and passing touchdowns, which is known as the "Triple Crown".[167] He broke Dan Marino's 27-year-old record for most passing yards in one season (5,084) in the 15th game of the season (week 16) against the Atlanta Falcons at home in New Orleans at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome with a touchdown pass to Darren Sproles. Brees also set a new Saints franchise record for passing touchdowns in a season with 46.[168]
In Week 2, during the Saints' home-opener, Brees defeated the Chicago Bears for the first time in his career as a starting quarterback, leaving the Baltimore Ravens as the only remaining NFL team which Brees had never beaten to that point.[169] On October 23, in a 62–7 victory over the Indianapolis Colts, he was 31 of 35 for 325 passing yards and five touchdowns.[170] He earned NFC Offensive Player of the Week for his performance against the Colts.[171] On November 28, a Week 12 49–24 victory over the New York Giants, he had 363 passing yards and four touchdowns to earn NFC Offensive Player of the Week.[172][173] In a home game on December 4 against the Detroit Lions, Brees passed for 342 yards.[174] Brees' performance gave him 4,031 yards on the season, making him the first quarterback in NFL history to eclipse the 4,000-yard mark in the first 12 games of a season, and the first quarterback to reach four consecutive seasons with 4,000+ yards and 30+ touchdown passes. In week 15 against the Minnesota Vikings, Brees threw for 412 yards with five passing touchdowns. With that game, Brees became the first quarterback in NFL history to throw for five touchdowns, 400+ yards, while also maintaining a completion percentage of 80%, in a game.[175][176]
In Week 16 against the Atlanta Falcons at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, Brees broke Dan Marino's long standing record of passing yards in a single season of 5,084 with a nine-yard touchdown pass to Darren Sproles with just under three minutes left in the fourth quarter of the game. He needed 305 yards to break the record entering the game and exceeded that mark with 307. He ended the game having thrown for 5,087 total passing yards for the regular season with one regular season game remaining. With his second-quarter, eight-yard touchdown pass to Marques Colston, Brees extended his streak of consecutive games with a touchdown pass to 42 games. Marino congratulated Brees via Twitter after the game, saying "Congrats to @drewbrees. Great job by such a special player." Brees responded by tweeting, "Thanks to @DanMarino for his class and support during this run. It is an honor to attempt to follow the example he set for us all."[177][178] He earned his third and final NFC Offensive Player of the Week honor for the 2011 season with his performance against the Falcons.[179]
In Week 17 against the Carolina Panthers, Brees closed out the season by setting six NFL records, finishing the year with 468 completions for 5,476 yards, edging Tom Brady of the New England Patriots, who also surpassed Marino's record with 5,235 yards.[180] Brees averaged 342.25 yards passing per game, which broke Dan Fouts' record of 320.3 in a strike-shortened 1982 season.[181][182] In 2013, Peyton Manning bested Brees' record by one passing yard, and finished the season with an NFL-record 5,477 passing yards, averaging 342.31 yards per game.[183] In the NFC Wild Card Round, Brees passed for 466 yards and three passing touchdowns as the Saints defeated the Detroit Lions by a score of 45–28.[184] However, Brees and the Saints lost in the Divisional Round to the San Francisco 49ers by a score of 36–32 in a back-and-forth contest.[185] In the loss, Brees passed for 462 passing yards, four passing touchdowns, and two interceptions.[186] He was named to his sixth career Pro Bowl.[187] He was ranked as the second-best player in the league by his peers on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2012
