Saints legend and 2026 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee Drew Brees considered returning to the NFL last season to play for the Denver Broncos in the AFC Championship game.
ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter reports Broncos assistants Joe Lombardi and Pete Carmichael Jr. reached out to Brees after Denver starting quarterback Bo Nix broke his ankle in a divisional playoff game and was lost for season.
Both Lombardi and Carmichael spent time in New Orleans with Brees when he played for the Black & Gold from 2006-2020.
Brees had just turned 47 years old when the Broncos reached out and had been retired from the NFL since 2021, but he considered the offer, according to the report from Schefter.
A 13-time Pro Bowl selection, the report says Brees tested his body to see if he’d be able to play in the NFL again, but after feeling discomfort in his wrist he nixed the idea.
The Broncos played backup QB Jarrett Stidham in the game against New England and lost to the Patriots.
Schefter reports that Broncos head coach Sean Payton did not know about his assistant coaches reaching out to Brees until the offseason and he was “fascinated and flabbergasted.”
Payton was part of Brees’ Hall of Fame induction ceremony earlier this summer in Canton, Ohio.
READ MORE:Report: Broncos tried to lure Drew Brees out of retirement to play in AFC Championship Game
