Brees nearly unretired for Broncos' AFC title game — SkimNews
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- Joe Lombardi and Pete Carmichael, the Broncos' offensive coordinator and assistant, contacted Drew Brees about un-retiring for the AFC Championship Game against the New England Patriots after Bo Nix fractured his ankle on Jan. 17.
- Brees, who had turned 47 just two days before Nix's injury, told his former Saints coaches he wanted to work out first; he discovered wrist discomfort and abandoned the plan, he revealed later on the "New Heights" podcast.
- Lombardi and Carmichael did not inform head coach Sean Payton during the process — Payton only learned of the behind-the-scenes plot in the offseason and said he was "fascinated and flabbergasted," with a Broncos source adding that "at a minimum, you sign [Brees], he's 1A or 1B."
- With Jarrett Stidham starting in Brees's place, the Broncos lost 10-7 to the Patriots in snowy conditions; Stidham went 17-of-31 for 133 yards, one touchdown, one interception, and a lost fumble.
- Payton confirmed Monday night — after Denver's 31-10 loss to Kansas City — that his assistants acted without him and the idea "never came to anything."
- This was the second time Brees has been approached about an in-season comeback: in December 2021, Payton himself had contacted Brees about returning to the Saints after Jameis Winston tore his ACL and Taysom Hill and Trevor Siemian landed on the reserve/COVID-19 list, an attempt Brees also declined.
Why it matters: The Broncos' 10-7 loss with Stidham at the helm — against a Patriots team they had beaten with Nix the week prior — frames the assistants' rogue approach as a desperation move that might have changed the franchise's season. It also marks the second time Brees has turned down a comeback attempt, raising real questions about the Pro Football Hall of Fame's five-year post-career rule had he suited up at 47.
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