In the aftermath of Bo Nix suffering a season-ending ankle injury during the final moments of the divisional round, the Denver Broncos apparently left no stone unturned in an attempt to find a suitable replacement for him for the AFC Championship. That included Drew Brees. Yeah, that Drew Brees.
Former offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi and offensive assistant Pete Carmichael discussed with Brees the possibility of his coming out of retirement to suit up for Denver as the team made a bid for Super Bowl LX in the AFC title game, according to ESPN. Brees had turned 47 just two days before Nix went down with the injury, but he did speak with Lombardi and Carmichael, whom he worked with in New Orleans, and it appears as if he seriously considered the comeback.
Brees told the two assistants that he wanted to work out before making a firm decision to see how his body would respond. After that workout, however, Brees reportedly experienced wrist discomfort, and the idea of one of the most decorated quarterbacks in NFL history making a jaw-dropping return dissolved.
One of the more fascinating angles of Brees’ potential return to help the Denver Broncos was that Sean Payton, his longtime coach with the Saints, had no idea about the pursuit launched by Lombardi and Carmichael, according to the report. The two assistants wanted to take the temperature on Brees’ appetite to return before broaching it with Payton, who later learned about the plot to possibly bring him back during the offseason.
When first informed, Payton thought they were referring to when New Orleans tried to bring Brees back in 2021 for a Monday night game against the Dolphins in December. At that time, Jameis Winston had torn his ACL, and both Taysom Hill and Trevor Siemian were on the reserve/COVID-19 list. That led to Ian Book starting, but not before they approached Brees. However, that reunion didn’t get off the ground.
Brees did leave some breadcrumbs about this latest flirtation with a return to the NFL, telling the “New Heights” podcast this offseason that “he had some conversations” but kept things pretty vague.
The former Super Bowl MVP and Saints all-time leader in passing yards, touchdowns, and completions officially retired in March of 2021 and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame this summer.
Had he come back, Brees would have been the latest once-great quarterback to come off the couch and find himself back in the NFL. Earlier last season, the Indianapolis Colts signed 44-year-old Philip Rivers, who ironically replaced Brees in San Diego, after Daniel Jones suffered a season-ending Achilles injury.
