This could be something. It could also be nothing. For his part, former New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton downplayed the seriousness of a possible reunion with his old quarterback Drew Brees during the Denver Broncos' latest playoff run. He's wise to do so because the Saints still controlled Brees' contract, and that contact may draw a tampering investigation from the NFL home office.
ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that Brees briefly considered stepping in to help replace Bo Nix for the AFC championship game, only to confirm that his throwing arm was too worn down. Brees told longtime NFL insider Ed Werder that he had been approached by his former coaches Joe Lombari and Pete Carmichael, both with the Denver. But Payton says it was the other
way around.
Here's what Payton told Broncos reporters on Tuesday, via Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio:
“Drew had reached out, I think, right after the championship or right after the playoff win against Buffalo. I think he called Pete, probably texted Pete or Joe, those guys. None of it even came to my attention. So, when the story came up in Canton, I kept thinking they were just talking about the COVID season. Even in the COVID season when he and I discussed possibly coming back for a Monday night game, he had trouble throwing it. So, I don’t think really anything really came of it. I think in Drew’s mind, there’s that competitor in him. So, I was kind of out of the loop. I don’t think it’s a big story, but nonetheless, certainly one that once they described it to me, it just never got to my level, I guess. He had reached out to Pete, I think, and then Joe.”
Because the NFL trade deadline had long passed, Werder shared that "the thought was that Brees or Payton could have attempted to convince Mickey Loomis to release his rights" so he could join the Broncos in January, if his arm was up for it. But it wasn't, and he didn't, yet that might not stop the NFL from investigating the Broncos for tampering. It shouldn't matter which party contacted who first. We'll see if anything develops.
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: Could Broncos be hit for tampering with retired Saints QB Drew Brees?
