Drew Brees almost made a grand return to the AFC West last season.
The legendary former NFL quarterback Brees considered the possibility of unretiring to play for the Denver Broncos last postseason, Adam Schefter of ESPN reported on Monday. Denver was facing a QB crisis at the time, and Brees had discussions about a potential return with then-Broncos offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi and offensive assistant Pete Carmichael.
However, Brees reportedly ended up deciding against a comeback after undergoing workouts to see how his body would respond and then finding discomfort in his wrist. You can read Schefter’s full report on the situation here.
The Broncos won 14 games and a division title last season and also ended up beating the Buffalo Bills in the divisional round of the playoffs. But starting quarterback Bo Nix suffered a season-ending ankle fracture in the postseason win over the Bills, leaving Denver scrambling for who to put under center for the remainder of their playoff run. They ended up simply turning to backup QB Jarrett Stidham and lost in the AFC Championship Game to the New England Patriots by a final score of 10-7.
Brees, now 47 years old, played in the NFL from 2001-20, making 13 Pro Bowl teams, leading the league in passing yards seven times, and winning Super Bowl MVP with the New Orleans Saints during the 2009 season. After retiring from the league, Brees went into broadcasting (now serving as a game analyst for FOX) and was also inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame earlier this year.
Interestingly enough, the Broncos are now coached by Sean Payton, who was Brees’ longtime former head coach on the New Orleans Saints. While Payton reportedly was not involved in the team’s surprise pursuit of Brees, you cannot blame Denver for at least exploring the possibility, especially in the wake of Philip Rivers’ stunning NFL comeback last season after also being retired since 2020.
