When Drew Brees joined Stephen A. Smith on First Take last night, the conversation wasn’t the usual round of quarterback debates or reactionary hot takes that the show is known for. Instead, the Saints legend discussed what he sees as major flaws in how the NFL develops its young quarterbacks.
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The question posed to Brees was simple: “Is the NFL failing young QBs?” A stat accompanied this question, noting that six of the last eight quarterbacks drafted No. 1 overall have gotten their coaches fired.
And in classic Brees fashion, the 13-time Pro Bowler didn’t mince words. “Yes, I do [NFL is failing young QBs],” he replied, bringing up examples like Sam Darnold and Baker Mayfield, who didn’t thrive in the initial stage but are now balling.
“And I think the proof of that is- you watch some of these guys that you would have said had rough early stages of their careers, the Sam Darnolds and the Baker Mayfields. And the success that they’re now having in their second and third stop after they’ve had a chance to get some experience and maybe be in some more capable situations,” the former QB explained.
Brees’ analysis hits hard at a time when the NFL is witnessing an alarming pattern. Just this week, the Tennessee Titans fired head coach Brian Callahan, six games into his partnership with 2025 No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward.
The sacking marked the fourth straight instance of a top overall quarterback seeing his coach fired before the end of his rookie season. It happened with Caleb Williams and Matt Eberflus in Chicago (12 games), Bryce Young and Frank Reich in Carolina (11 games), and Trevor Lawrence with Urban Meyer in Jacksonville (13 games).
As mentioned before, in total, six of the last eight quarterbacks drafted No. 1 overall have seen their HCs fired during their rookie campaigns, with Joe Burrow and Zac Taylor standing as the lone surviving QB-coach duo from that stretch.
For Drew Brees, this revolving door of coaches is the core reason why development stalls.
“I really have kind of developed a formula just based on observation… A lot of these guys need about 50 high-level starts before you’re going to know what you have in a quarterback — and that includes college and then their time in the NFL,” he added.
In other words, drafting a player with only 15–20 collegiate starts and expecting instant results is a developmental death sentence.
“You’re gonna have to sit around and wait two and a half, three seasons before you can really develop this guy,” Brees continued, noting that young QBs need veteran mentorship, system fit, and most importantly, patience from both the organization and fan base.
“I think a lot of these guys need about 50 high-level starts before you’re going to know what you have in a quarterback. That includes college and their time in the NFL.” @drewbrees on quarterback development in the NFL. pic.twitter.com/HUar9e5dlN
— First Take (@FirstTake) October 14, 2025
The numbers back up Brees‘ claims. Over the past decade, 35 quarterbacks have been taken in the first round, and only 7 finished their four-year rookie deals with the same head coach. The rest were cycled through new systems, play-callers, and expectations, all before reaching those 50 crucial starts Brees spoke of.
Perhaps no example illustrates that better than Justin Fields. Once touted as Chicago’s future, he’s now on his third team in four seasons and was sacked 9 times last week in London while throwing just nine completions. This is exactly the kind of regression Drew Brees warned about, the one stemming from instability.
Unfortunately, many fans on the internet were taken aback by such nuanced analysis on First Take. Hence, they couldn’t help but rave about Brees being among the perfect NFL analysts in sports media today.
“Finally some good analysis, thank you Mr Brees,” wrote one. “So glad they brought Brees on… he [is] one of the goat QBs. Take notes y’all,” added another.
Drew Brees is wayyy too smart for “ESPN First Take” Stephen A Smiths brain turned off 30 seconds in lol https://t.co/5Ffo0frq0R
— MF⚜️ (@GOATED_LF) October 14, 2025
And as it turned out, great analysis led to quality takes from fans as well. “This is also why the NFL needs a minor league. Work with the UFL more,” penned one.
“Been saying this for years. Guys like Sam Darnold or Josh Allen, who came out way early, didn’t do themselves any favors. Darnold is good now, but it took him SEVEN seasons to finally get it right,” chimed in another.
At a time when front offices demand instant ROI and fan impatience runs wild, Drew Brees’ take was a reminder that quarterbacks are built through structure, consistency, and time. And maybe that’s why fans are calling him the perfect football analyst.
