Former rival QB shocks fans by naming Buccaneers as his top NFL team

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are the top seed in the NFC through six weeks after beating the San Francisco 49ers 30-19. The Bucs were expected to be a strong contender in 2025, but not many had them where they are currently at this point of the season.

Many expectations have been tampered with each week for Tampa Bay. They have dealt with untimely injury after untimely injury, but still find ways to come away victorious. The Bucs have four game-winning drives over their five wins, and they continue to show resilience on their way to becoming one of America's most fun-to-watch teams.

The Bucs are considered one of the best teams in the league amongst the general public and based on record, but there have always been those who continue to doubt Tampa Bay, including former New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees.

Brees has been on record many times stating how he doesn't know why the Bucs are seen as the favorites of the NFC South and they don't have anything that any of the other teams don't, yadda yadda yadda. However, Brees has now changed his tune on his former rivals, as he has the Buccaneers as the top team in the NFL following Week 6.

Brees ranks Bucs No. 1 in NFL

Dec 24, 2016; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees (9) is pressured by Tampa Bay Buccaneers outside linebacker Lavonte David (54) Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-Imagn Images | Chuck Cook-Imagn Images

.@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

You could tell that it pained Brees to have to admit that the Buccaneers are the best team in football, but I'm glad that he is finally getting one of his takes right. After the Bucs, Brees had the Indianapolis Colts as the second-best team, the San Francisco 49ers as the third-best, the Detroit Lions as the fourth-best and he rounded out the top five with the New England Patriots.

Brees highlighted the elite-level play of Mayfield and the drastic improvement on the defensive side of the ball for why he is enjoying what they are doing so much, and why he has them as the best team in the league.

The Bucs' active roster isn't going to scare anybody until the stars start making their way back from injury, but they are doing enough to still be one of the best teams in the country, and people are noticing the success coming while down so many players.

Tampa Bay has plenty more to prove if it wants to ride this wave into the second half of the season and into the playoffs. While there is plenty of time to continue getting better, they will need to keep the main thing the main thing and continue having that underdog attitude that has gotten them to this point.

The Bucs will look to extend their winning ways this week in an all-time matchup against the Detroit Lions on Monday Night Football that could help determine how the NFC positioning plays out.

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