But Brees earned the starting job by his second season with San Diego and was selected to the Pro Bowl in 2004. A torn rotator cuff and labrum cast doubt on his future, however, as did the presence of Philip Rivers, whom the Chargers had acquired in a 2004 draft-day trade that sent Eli Manning to the Giants. In 2006, Brees signed with the Saints as a free agent.

Brees and Peyton Manning, a New Orleans native, have been linked in several ways. The Saints’ lone Super Bowl win came 10 years ago, when Brees’s team defeated Manning’s Colts in the title game.

Brees also set a single-game completion percentage (in a game with a minimum of 20 attempts) on Monday night with a 96.7 percent performance, according to the Saints. He completed 29 of his 30 passes for 307 yards. At one point, Brees completed 22 consecutive passes. The N.F.L. record is 25.

The Saints are tied with the Seattle Seahawks, Green Bay Packers and San Francisco 49ers for the best record in the N.F.C. at 11-3.