AJ Smith, YOU WERE WRONG, but hey thanks !!!!!

As much as I like Brees and admire what he has done in New Orleans, he would not have had the same success in San Diego unless the Chargers had never drafted Philip Rivers, or traded Rivers prior to the 2006 season. Neither QB would have developed had the Chargers kept both on the roster after the 2005 season. The front office war between Marty and AJ would have focused on a tug of war over the starting QB, and the Chargers would have suffered along with them. 14-2 in 2006? Probably closer to 9-7 or 8-8 had the Chargers QB been a two-headed monster named Drewlip Breevers.

Rivers developed into a starting QB only after Drew was released. It was classic addition through subtraction and it benefited both players and both teams in a way no one could have imagined in 2006. This is why I admire Brees and decline to bag on him. He reinvented himself in 2004 and committed himself to becoming the best player possible, and he's never looked back. Same can be said for Philip Rivers, and his time is coming sooner rather than later.