If ESPN prefers to replace Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman in the "Monday Night Football" booth with another Hall of Fame quarterback, then Drew Brees says he will be happy to fill the bill.
In a conversation with Front Office Sports, Brees replied, "Of course," when asked whether he would be interested in the role expected to come open when Aikman's contract expires after Super Bowl LXI on Valentine's Day.
Brees, 47, has been serving as an analyst for Fox Sports for slightly less than one full
season. He made his debut in Week 11 last year.
"At the end of the day, I aspire to be the best at what I'm pursuing," Brees said. "I love broadcasting and I love my team. And I love being able to broadcast games every week.
"For example, this week, we're broadcasting Vikings-Packers. The Packers are one of the most explosive offenses in football right now. I love the fact that I'll get a chance to dive into watching (Packers QB) Jordan Love, (coach) Matt LaFleur and that whole offense. Look, they struggled early on in the season. Now they've kind of turned the corner. The Vikings are reeling a little bit. Trying to figure it out on offense. We get to dive in and identify what the solutions could be. The (Vikings) defense is lights out. What a great matchup that's going to be. I get to be in the shoes of both."
Joe Buck, Aikman's longtime broadcast partner, signed a contract in September to remain in his play-by-play role for "Monday Night Football."
The list of Buck's potential partners figures to be long. Fox Sports analyst Greg Olsen, who was bumped to No. 2 on the network's totem pole when Tom Brady joined FOX last year, has expressed his desire to be a No. 1 analyst again.
Front Office Sports suggested Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, recently fired CBS analyst Tony Romo and Rams head coach Sean McVay might also be interested in the job. Brees understands the job won't be handed to him.
"Again, that's what I love every week is the opportunity to talk about it, communicate it," Brees said. "But we're all aspiring to be the best that we can be at it."
Romo, 46, who was the lead NFL analyst on CBS Sports, was officially let go in early October, following a July 23 arrest on an operating-while-intoxicated charge. He pleaded no contest on September 1.
Olson, 41, played for 14 years at tight end, most notably for the Carolina Panthers.
Kelce signed a one-year, $12 million deal with the Chiefs in March, fueling speculation that the 2026 season would be his finale.
McVay signed a multi-year contract in February, but the length was not disclosed.
Brees retired after the 2020 season and landed a job immediately with NBC, but he and the network parted ways after one season. The 2010 Super Bowl MVP joined Fox in Week 11 last season and currently works alongside Adam Amin on the No. 3 team.
Similar to the obstacles that the undersized quarterback had to overcome to become the NFL's all-time leader in passing yards, completions and touchdown passes, Brees is determined to overcome them and reach the pinnacle in his new profession.
"I would love to. That's my goal and aspiration, and that's what I'm working towards," Brees said. "Every week, I feel like it's getting better and better and more comfortable. I love the crew that I work with at Fox. I think they're absolute pros.
"I love the preparation that goes into a week. I watch that film as if I'm trying to attack every side of the ball. I kind of build my strategy, and then being able to talk to the coaches from each side of the ball, and the key players each and every week. You always feel like you're staying ahead of the curve. You know what's coming. You see the evolution of the game."
--Field Level Media
