An NFL storyline nobody saw coming at the start of the week involves the fact that individuals within the Denver Broncos were apparently at least somewhat interested in having New Orleans Saints legend Drew Brees come out of retirement to play for the Broncos in this year’s AFC Championship Game.
Denver starting quarterback Bo Nix suffered a broken bone in his right ankle during the divisional-round win over the Buffalo Bills.
After it was learned that Brees remains on the Saints’ reserve-retired list, he told longtime NFL reporter Ed Werder that he had been “contacted by former Saints coaches on (Denver head coach) Sean Payton’s staff about playing in the AFC Championship Game.” Thus, the Monday report could lead to a tampering case against the Broncos.
Following the Broncos’ 31-10 loss at the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday night, Payton said he “never heard anything about” Brees possibly being an option for Denver until “later.” On Tuesday, Payton suggested that Brees, not the Broncos, made the first call this past winter.
Drew Brees reached out to the Broncos about a possible comeback?
“Drew had reached out, I think, right after the championship or right after the playoff win against Buffalo,” Payton said, per Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. “I think he called [former Broncos offensive assistant Pete Carmichael], probably texted Pete or [former Broncos offensive coordinator Joe Lombard], 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.”
Earlier this year, Brees acknowledged that he doesn’t “throw with my right arm anymore” because his shoulder is in rough shape. During his chat with Werder, Brees said that a throwing session he had with his son confirmed his shoulder and wrist “are so wasted.”
“I can’t throw 15 yards with any kind of pop,” Brees told Werder.
Does it matter who called who as it pertains to tampering?
“I think in Drew’s mind, there’s that competitor in him,” Payton continued during his comments. “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.”
Werder revealed that he “believes…the thought was that Brees or Payton could have attempted to convince” Saints general manager Mickey Loomis to release Brees’ rights had the Hall of Famer wanted to play for the Broncos earlier this year. Meanwhile, Florio pointed out that “it technically doesn’t matter if Lombardi and/or Carmichael contacted Brees or Brees contacted them” as it pertains to tampering.
Back in 2024, the Atlanta Falcons were stripped of a draft pick after the league determined that they violated tampering rules regarding quarterback Kirk Cousins and two other players. It remains to be seen if the NFL will look into what did and/or didn’t happen involving the Broncos and Brees earlier this year.
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