Drew Brees went into the Pro Football Hall of Fame this summer, but he considered coming out of retirement with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line. The former New Orleans Saints quarterback explored joining the Denver Broncos ahead of January's AFC Championship Game, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported.
The conversations followed Bo Nix's fractured ankle in Denver's Jan. 17 playoff victory over the Buffalo Bills. Then-offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi and offensive assistant Pete Carmichael, two of Brees' longtime coaches in New Orleans, contacted him about a potential return.
Brees had turned 47 just two days before Nix was injured. He wanted to test his body before committing to a comeback, but wrist discomfort during his workout ended the possibility,
Schefter reported.
The initial talks happened without Sean Payton's involvement. Lombardi and Carmichael first wanted to see whether Brees was interested, and Payton didn't learn about their conversations until the offseason, according to Schefter.
Had Brees felt ready to return, Denver would've signed him and evaluated whether he or Jarrett Stidham would start, Schefter noted. One Broncos source explained to ESPN how the team viewed the possibility: “At a minimum, you sign (Brees), he’s 1A or 1B. And Drew’s point was: ‘I know how to win a game like that.’”
Denver went with Stidham and lost 10-7 to the New England Patriots. He threw for one touchdown and one interception and fumbled in the snowy game. Brees, instead, remained retired after ending his career with the Saints following the 2020 season. Payton presented him for induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame this summer.
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: Report: Drew Brees considered Broncos comeback for AFC title game
