NFL Legend Brett Favre Praises Drew Brees, But Says He's Not the MVP
Brett Favre may have grown up an hour from New Orleans and rooted for the Saints as a kid, but he just gave his opinion on who should be the NFL’s MVP, and it’s not Drew Brees.
TMZ Sports interviewed Favre on Friday and made mention of his old passing records that Brees has broken. Favre was then asked who he would choose for the league’s Most Valuable Player, and the old gunslinger went in a different direction.
“Boy, that’s a tough one because there are several guys that are worthy of consideration — and Drew Brees is right at the top,” the Hall of Famer said. “But I would say right now, I’d probably have to give it to (Patrick) Mahomes.
“Nothing that Drew Brees has done would steer me away from choosing him as well. But what Mahomes has done in his first year (as a starter) is incredible.”
In addition to the Chiefs’ young star and Brees, Favre also brought up two veteran quarterbacks who are in the discussion in the Chargers’ Philip Rivers and the Patriots’ Tom Brady.
“That’s what you have to look at it,” said the former Packer, who three MVPs of his own. “Those four guys — if you take them out of the mix, I don’t think those four teams have near the success they’ve had to this point.”
The interviewer then noted that former Chiefs head coach Dick Vermeil said in another interview that he sees Mahomes doing things that no other quarterback can do — things could make Mahomes the greatest quarterback of all time. Favre did not disagree.
“I would agree,” he said.”Now it’s a little unfair to label him that way just yet, and he would admit that. But it sure is better than them saying he’s underachieved. Everyone in that organization has expected him to do great things, and they even have to be somewhat amazed at what he’s done.”
Mahomes leads the NFL in touchdown passes and QBR while also ranking second in passing yards.
He’s on pace to throw for 55 touchdowns, which would tie single-season record set by Peyton Manning in 2013. Mahomes is also on pace for 5,231 passing yards, which would be third most in NFL history.
What makes Mahomes different from those prolific passers before him is that he’s also a threat on the ground. He’s on pace for 317 rushing yards, while the six QBs who reached 5,000 passing yards in a single season combined for 350 rushing yards.
Favre may be rooting for Mahomes to win MVP because it would also be a feather in the cap of Andy Reid, who coached Favre in Green Bay.
Reid has been an NFL head coach for 20 years but has never coached an MVP. Reid was the Packers’ tight ends coach and quarterbacks coach when Favre won his awards from 1995 to 1997.
If Mahomes and the Chiefs can get through the next three weeks, he could lock up the award as Kansas City plays the Ravens, the Chargers and the Seahawks.
All three of those teams rank in the top 10 in scoring defense, with Baltimore leading the NFL by allowing 17.8 points per game.
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