When Drew Brees joined NBC as an analyst following his 2020 retirement from the NFL, it didn’t go so well. He lasted just one year. However, he’s now back on the airwaves with a non-exclusive deal at ESPN as a weekly contributor on First Take. And he’s been on fire this season, especially with his sharp but accurate takes on the 4-0 Philadelphia Eagles a couple of weeks ago.
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At the time, Brees agreed with most people that the Eagles’ offense was boring. But he also took it a step further, saying they weren’t as good as they looked overall. Even though they were one of the last undefeated teams in the league, he didn’t see them as the best in football.
Brees has been vindicated over the last two weeks as the Eagles have lost two straight to drop to 4-2. That “boring” offense only managed 17 points in each game as well. Another win for Brees.
And with all the Nostra-Drewmas vibes going around, ESPN thought it smart to ask the future Hall of Famer who his top five teams were right now.
After giving the top two spots to the only 5-1 teams in football—the Buccaneers and the Colts—Brees had a surprising choice for No. 3.
“The Chiefs are a little aggressive for me at No. 3. I know they just had this big win against the Lions. But I cannot put them at No. 3 right now,” Brees said.
“They were not in my top five. They gotta win a few more before they go top five. I actually had the Niners, even though they just lost to the Bucs, that was a close game. I like the way Mac Jones is playing, I think they’ve got something going, I do,” he continued.
Co-penalist of the show, Stephen A. Smith, couldn’t believe what he was hearing. His list started the same as Brees’, with the Bucs and Indy in the No. 1 and No. 2 spots. But he went with the Chiefs and the Steelers at No. 3 and No. 4, respectively. He finished the ranking off with the Patriots at No. 5, which Brees agreed with.
Brees believes that even with Mac Jones at QB, this 49ers team is still playing some of the best football in the league. They are 4-2 despite losing their two best defensive players, most of their WRs, and their starting QB for multiple games. And while Nick Bosa and Fred Warner are out for the year, the rest of those guys are coming back.
At No. 4, Brees went with the Lions even in the wake of their disappointing effort on Sunday Night Football against the Chiefs in prime time.
“Number four, I actually had the Lions. The Lions, even though they just lost, I still think they’re one of the best teams in the NFC and they’re a real contender. So I got them there. Then I got the Pats at No. 5. I love the way Drake Maye’s playing as well. I think Vrabel’s got these guys going. These guys are a big play offense. You turn on the tape? They are under center, shoot, as much as anybody in the league right now.”
.@drewbrees' top five NFL teams after Week 6:
1. Buccaneers
2. Colts
3. 49ers
4. Lions
5. Patriots pic.twitter.com/pWbqublv38— First Take (@FirstTake) October 14, 2025
While the eyeball test, stats, and our overall impressions of teams should factor in, the record generally tells the most. So the Bucs and Colts deserve their spots, as Brees and Smith said. After that, it gets a little murkier. The Chiefs are 3-1 in their last four, and both they and the refs seem to have remembered K.C.’s stature over the last few weeks. The 49ers, however, do have the better record.
We think the Lions are clearly head and shoulders above the Steelers. Pittsburgh has been running very simple offensive concepts and cashing in on them, but how much longer can that continue?
The Patriots at No. 5 is fair enough considering they’re 4-2, but the Packers, Steelers (who beat the Pats 21-14), Eagles, and Chargers might have something to say about that one.
