Drew Brees is heading into Canton this weekend, and a new photo of him with his son Baylen has plenty of NFL fans doing a double take.
Brees was in Canton this week ahead of his Pro Football Hall of Fame induction, and cameras caught the former Saints quarterback with Baylen. The reaction came fast because Baylen is now 17 years old, which makes the old mental image even harder to shake: the toddler Brees lifted during the celebrations after Super Bowl XLIV.
That 2010 scene, with confetti falling around New Orleans’ first and only championship, is still one of the most familiar pictures in Saints history. Seeing Baylen now, nearly as tall as his father during NBC’s interview with the pair at Thursday’s Hall of Fame Game, sent the comparison flying across social media.
“Bro already looks older than his dad back in 2010 💀” one fan said.
“Time flies like crazy!!” another wrote.
“Seeing Larry Fitzgerald and Drew Brees going into the Hall of Fame making me feel old 😂” a third commented.
Brees earned Super Bowl MVP honors after leading the Saints to the title following the 2009 season, and that moment with young Baylen became part of the franchise’s most lasting imagery. Now, with Baylen in high school and the Hall of Fame ceremony arriving this weekend, the family photo is hitting fans as a blunt reminder of just how much time has passed.
Brees’ Hall of Fame class also includes Larry Fitzgerald, Luke Kuechly, Adam Vinatieri and Roger Craig. Brees enters as a first-ballot selection after a career that left him with the second-most passing yards and touchdowns in NFL history.
He spent 15 seasons in New Orleans after starting with the Chargers, building a run defined by consistency, leadership and record-breaking production. For Saints fans, though, the championship memories remain the centerpiece - and this latest photo brought all of that back in a hurry.
The spotlight now shifts to Canton, where Brees and Baylen will share it once more as the quarterback is officially inducted.
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