Get Up host Mike Greenberg’s “The Green List” is known for sparking interest but typically avoids major controversy. However, the segment on Tuesday generated significant backlash when fans accused Greenberg of “disrespecting” legendary New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees.
Greenberg highlighted Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley for his impactful first year after signing as a free agent, listing him as one of the five players in “Top Free Agent Signings That Immediately Paid Off.” He also included Tom Brady, who led the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a Super Bowl victory after joining in 2020, alongside other champions like Reggie White (Green Bay Packers), Peyton Manning (Denver Broncos), and Deion Sanders, who won back-to-back titles in 1994 and 1995 with the San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys.
Fans quickly voiced their opinion on social media, insisting Brees deserved a spot on the list. The quarterback joined the Saints in 2006, transforming a team that had just finished 3-13 into an NFC Championship contender and later securing the franchise’s only Super Bowl championship three years later.
The nature of “Best of” lists is inherently subjective, and disagreements are inevitable. Greenberg’s selections raised eyebrows, especially since Barkley has yet to win a Super Bowl, while Brees already has one to his name. Fans expressed their outrage:
The top five NFL free agent signings that immediately paid off, according to @Espngreeny ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/fNI1JPciMR
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) January 28, 2025
Kind of crazy to leave Brees off of this https://t.co/xELIzLUuqS
— Saints Daily (@_SaintsDaily) January 28, 2025
Drew Brees not being on this list is criminal. https://t.co/Ez4FEL50fX
— DeeJay Johnson (@Go_DeeJay21) January 28, 2025
Do better 🤦🏼♂️ https://t.co/dCTNKuxuT1 pic.twitter.com/RjIU7nAZOf
— 𝓒𝓪𝓶𝓭𝓮𝓷 𝓑𝓮𝓮𝓫𝓮 (@Cbeebe_56) January 28, 2025
Not putting Drew Brees on here is certainly a choice. The Brees disrespect never ends🙄 https://t.co/7m6IZHvBeF
— BHarp (@BHarptv) January 28, 2025
Y’all really forgot about the goat….
The disrespect will never end pic.twitter.com/J4Wz31ilrn
— Trizzy Trace (@tracegirouard48) January 28, 2025
In the end, Brees was not included on “The Green List,” but he can take solace in being a Super Bowl champion, a future Pro Football Hall of Famer, and ranking second in career passing yards and touchdowns among other impressive statistics.
