Drew Brees deserves more recognition for his NFL career accomplishments, says his former New Orleans Saints team-mate Jermon Bushrod.
The 42-year-old quarterback has announced his retirement after 20 seasons in the pro game, 15 of which were with the Saints.
Brees made the Saints perennial contenders and also had a huge impact off the field, credited with helping the city to recover after Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
Two-time Pro Bowler Bushrod won a Super Bowl with Brees at the end of the 2009 season as part of an initial six-year run on the Saints offensive line.
He also spent the last season of his NFL career protecting Brees in 2018, when the Saints went 13-3 before ultimately falling to a controversial NFC Championship Game defeat to the Rams.
Bushrod believes Brees deserves to be remembered among the very best, despite having frustratingly ended his career with just one Super Bowl title.
"It is frustrating that he doesn't get the recognition that he deserves," Bushrod said to Stats Perform News.
"You know a lot of people tend to leave him out of their top 10 or top five list and to me [he should be in].
"Maybe I'm a little biased because I had the best of him. I put myself on the line for him and I would do it again if the situation ever came up.
"He is a Super Bowl MVP, he got us to win the Super Bowl, he has broken so many records.
"Those memories last, he is going to be a Hall of Famer and the career he has had is kind of going to be forever etched in stone."
Brees extended his career chasing a second Lombardi Trophy that ultimately did not arrive and his final Super Bowl tally of one remains a regret to those associated with the Saints.
Bushrod, who also played with the Miami Dolphins and Chicago Bears, added: "It is frustrating, I'll be honest, because I was a part of the one Super Bowl with him but we should have had [more].
"We had two more opportunities while I was on the team [in my first run]. We had opportunities in the 2011 and 2012 season.
"And we had opportunity in the no call game [against the Rams in 2018], and they [the Saints] had an opportunity in the year or so before that.
"But Drew Brees was a huge part of the reason that we [won the Super Bowl] because when you have a guy like that who can march the ball up and down the field, everybody else just has to do their part.
"Just do your part and don't make this game any harder than it really should be because we had this gunslinger back here who is extremely accurate and could get the ball all over the field.
"It took pressure off of our defense. Our defense could take more chances, our special teams were great too because they put us in position.
"When you have Drew and you had that type of play caller in Sean Payton, if you give us a short field or you give us an extra possession we would light the scoreboard up and that was really cool to see."
While the Saints still went 9-3 in regular season games he played, Brees struggled to match his previous heights in 2020 and missed four games due to injury, so his retirement was widely expected.
Bushrod added: "Everyone kind of figured it was coming, based on his last year and the injuries that he was going through, to deal with something like that throughout the whole season.
"Being a guy who's 42 years old, who really pours a lot into this game, everybody kind of expected it.
"But I was sitting in my car when I got the alert on my phone and it took me back for a second that, 'Man, this guy is really done, but he had such an impact, not just on myself but on that city as well'.
"I just think of professionalism at its highest level [with Brees]. The amount of focus, the amount of detail, the amount of passion. His competitive spirit would pour out every day.
"You need to get the job done at a higher level because you see what this individual is doing, he knows what every single player on the offense is doing and it is pretty special to see.
"To be hand in hand, locked on with him and inside that huddle for seven out of my 12 years was truly a tremendous experience.
"He's done so much by investing millions of dollars from his philanthropic efforts but he's also created jobs in the city of New Orleans, he's leant a helping hand, in helping building homes and playgrounds.
"What he did on the field was truly tremendous, but what he's done off the field is truly legendary. God gives you these platforms and you've got to be able to help and inspire the next person - he's done that."
Vikings plan to release Pro Bowl RB Cook
Dalvin Cook's run with the Minnesota Vikings appears to be over, as NFL.com reports the team intends to release the four-time Pro Bowl running back after six seasons.
The Vikings plan to make the move official on Friday while they make a last-ditch attempt to find a trade partner for Cook, who is slated to count $14.1 million against the salary cap this season. Releasing the 27-year-old will save Minnesota $9 million.
Cook should have no shortage of suitors once on the open market after putting together another productive season in 2022. The Florida State product rushed for 1,173 yards and eight touchdowns while playing in all 17 regular-season games, and added 295 yards and two touchdowns on 39 receptions.
A second-round pick of Minnesota in 2017, Cook is one of two players to record 1,000 or more rushing yards in each of the last four seasons, along with Cleveland Browns standout Nick Chubb. Cook's 5,024 rushing yards since 2019 are the third most in the league behind Chubb (5,345) and Tennessee Titans star Derrick Henry (6,042).
Cook's 5,993 career rushing yards are also the third most among Vikings players behind Adrian Peterson and Robert Smith, the only two other players in franchise history with four consecutive 1,000-yard rushing seasons.
Alexander Mattison, who served as Cook's backup in each of the last four seasons, is expected to take over as the Vikings' No. 1 back after re-signing with the team in March on a two-year, $7 million deal. Minnesota also added UAB's DeWayne McBride in the seventh round of this year's draft.
Bills sign veteran pass-rusher Leonard Floyd to one-year deal
The Buffalo Bills have upgraded their pass rush, agreeing to a one-year deal with veteran outside linebacker Leonard Floyd.
Ian Rapoport of NFL Network was the first to report the agreement on Monday.
Drafted with the ninth overall pick by the Chicago Bears in 2016, the 30-year-old Floyd is entering his eighth NFL season after spending the last three with the Los Angeles Rams following his first four years with the Bears.
He won a Super Bowl with the Rams two years ago while playing on the opposite side of the defense as Von Miller, who he'll be reunited with in Buffalo.
The Bills were tied for 14th in the NFL in sacks last season with 40, but their production dipped after Miller tore the ACL in his right knee in November and missed the rest of the season.
Following Miller's injury, Buffalo had two or fewer sacks in five of their final seven games.
Floyd had nine sacks while playing in all 17 games last season and has 47 1/2 sacks in his career.
Since the start of the 2020 season, his 29 sacks rank 10th in the league.
The Bills have lost in the divisional round of the playoffs each of the last two seasons, and hope the addition of Floyd will help them get back to the Super Bowl for the first time since the 1993 season.
Buffalo opens the 2023 season with a highly anticipated Monday night showdown against Aaron Rodgers and the New York Jets on September 11, and Miller is optimistic he'll be able to play.
Bills agree to terms with OLB Leonard Floyd on a 1-year deal. (via @rapsheet) pic.twitter.com/4NKBxj1Lcr
— NFL (@NFL) June 5, 2023
Cardinals release three-time All-Pro WR Hopkins
The Arizona Cardinals have released wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins after failing to find a trade partner.
The team announced the move Friday on Twitter.
Hopkins spent three seasons with the Cardinals after being acquired via trade from the Houston Texans in March 2020.
The 30-year-old had a stellar debut season with Arizona, being voted to his fifth Pro Bowl after tying his personal best with 115 catches totalling 1,407 yards.
In 2021 and 2022, Hopkins had a combined 106 catches as a torn knee ligament and a six-game suspension for performance-enhancing substances limited his playing time.
Earlier this offseason, the Cardinals brought in a new leadership team in general manager Monti Ossenfort and defensive-minded head coach Jonathan Gannon, leading to trade rumours circling Hopkins.
Arizona were unable to find a trade partner to take on Hopkins' $22.6million salary cap hit during the draft last month, leaving the rebuilding Cardinals no other choice but to release the three-time All-Pro receiver.
Amid the offseason trade rumours, Hopkins had been notably absent from voluntary OTA workouts and caused a stir earlier this week when he discussed the NFL's top quarterbacks on a podcast and omitted now-former teammate Kyler Murray.
In three seasons with the Cardinals, Hopkins recorded 221 receptions for 2,696 yards and 17 touchdowns in 35 games.
The 10-year veteran has 853 career catches for 11,298 yards and 71 touchdowns.
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