More than a Saint: Drew Brees’ journey from injured QB to Saints legend
“More than a Saint” traces the gamble that brought Brees to New Orleans, the championship that changed the franchise and the legacy that carried him to Canton.
NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) - Before Drew Brees became a Super Bowl champion and Pro Football Hall of Famer, he was an injured quarterback searching for a team willing to believe he could play again.
“More than a Saint” tells the story of how Brees, the New Orleans Saints and a city recovering from Hurricane Katrina found a new beginning together.
The five-part documentary features Brees and the people who witnessed his transformation from a quarterback facing an uncertain future into the player who changed expectations for the Saints.
A career hangs in the balance
Brees arrived in New Orleans after suffering a major injury to his throwing shoulder.
Doctors gave him a 25% chance of playing again, but Sean Payton, Mickey Loomis and the Saints committed to his recovery when others questioned whether he would return to form.
The decision became one of the most important in franchise history.
A calling bigger than football
Brees said he and his wife, Brittany, realized during their visit to New Orleans that joining the Saints was about more than football.
The documentary explores how Brees embraced the city, raised expectations inside the organization and developed a connection with fans that extended beyond the field.
- Drew Brees never won NFL MVP and former Saints still cannot explain why
- Drew Brees jumped curbs and got stuck in a garage before Superdome reopening
- Sean Payton once wondered if injured Drew Brees was as good as the Saints would get
- Drew Brees says joining the Saints was God’s calling
- Saints went all in on Drew Brees when doctors gave him a 25% chance to play again
The comeback begins
Brees’ recovery was not immediate.
He began his first Saints training camp throwing passes into the dirt as Payton wondered what the team would get from its new quarterback. As his shoulder strengthened, the accuracy, preparation and command that defined his career began to emerge.
A night that changed New Orleans
Brees nearly missed the Saints’ 2006 Superdome reopening after becoming trapped in traffic and getting his vehicle stuck beneath a pipe in the stadium garage.
He made it inside before kickoff and helped lead a season that changed the direction of the franchise.
The documentary also examines the partnership between Brees and Payton, whose shared approach to preparation and offense powered the Saints for 15 seasons.
A championship and a lasting legacy
Brees led New Orleans to its only Super Bowl championship and was named Super Bowl XLIV MVP.
Former teammates revisit the title, the playoff heartbreak that followed and the league MVP award that Brees never received despite his records and success.
They also explain why his impact cannot be measured through statistics alone.
From the injury that threatened his career to the gold jacket waiting in Canton, “More than a Saint” tells the story of the quarterback who changed the Saints and became part of New Orleans.
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