TJ’s latest State of the Saints episode is a tribute-driven show built around one central theme: what Drew Brees meant to New Orleans and why his Pro Football Hall of Fame induction feels bigger than football.
TJ opens by saluting Brees for getting the call at NFL Honors, then quickly shifts from résumé talk into impact talk. His arrival gave New Orleans a weekly sense of optimism and identity at a time when the community needed something to rally around. TJ ties that directly to the 2006 turning point, when Brees and Sean Payton arrived and the Saints stopped feeling like a punchline franchise and started feeling legitimate after a 3-13 season the year prior.
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From there, the episode moves into story mode. TJ highlights a handful of signature games that, in his mind, captured the “new Saints.” The 2006 win over the Cowboys is presented as the moment it clicked nationally — Brees looked surgical, in control, and different than what Saints fans were used to. TJ also revisits later-era classics against Dallas, including the 2013 game where New Orleans moved the chains all day, plus a Thanksgiving comeback that reinforced the idea that no deficit ever felt final with Brees under center.
A big part of the show is community-driven. TJ opens the phone lines and lets fans share their favorite Brees memories, which turns the episode into a mix of personal stories and Saints history — the kind of conversation that feels like a city-wide group chat more than a debate show.
Before wrapping, TJ briefly detours into broader NFL talk, including a quick hypothetical Super Bowl 60 prediction, but the episode’s core message stays the same: Brees’ legacy is permanent, and the appreciation for him is only growing with time.