Near-comeback in Denver

Drew Brees, the retired Hall of Fame quarterback, came close to ending his five-year absence from the NFL to start for the Denver Broncos in last season's AFC Championship Game, according to a report by ESPN's Adam Schefter that surfaced just before Denver's Monday night season opener.

After Broncos starter Bo Nix fractured his ankle in the divisional-round overtime win over the Buffalo Bills, Denver's then-offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi and offensive assistant Pete Carmichael, both former New Orleans Saints assistants who had coached Brees, reached out to the 47-year-old quarterback to gauge his interest in returning, sources told Schefter.

Brees, who turned 47 two days before Nix's injury, spoke with Lombardi and Carmichael early in the week before the AFC title game against the New England Patriots and told them he wanted to work out first to see how his body responded. After the workout, Brees felt discomfort in his wrist and decided against the comeback, according to sources.

The Denver Post, citing a source with knowledge of the situation, confirmed that Broncos coaches approached Brees and that he declined after telling them he was in too much physical pain to play. The outlet reported that the call was described as an inquiry about a "pie-in-the-sky" possibility, coming a month after Philip Rivers came out of retirement to play for the Indianapolis Colts.

Head coach Sean Payton, Brees's longtime coach with the Saints, was not informed of the outreach by Lombardi and Carmichael when it happened, according to multiple reports. Payton learned about it in the offseason. When asked about the near-reunion, Payton told reporters, via ProFootballTalk: "I just know I was the odd man out. I never heard anything about it, so it never came to anything. I was only told about it later, so yeah, I didn't. I was just like you guys."

Brees's own account

Brees had hinted at the possibility earlier this year. In a February appearance on the "New Heights" podcast with Travis and Jason Kelce, he said he had "some conversations" about a return, though he did not identify a team. He recalled: "There was a moment this year where, literally, I was drinking a tequila and something happened where I thought there might be a chance where I could play that week."

He later told ESPN's Ed Werder that his body could not respond: "I started trying to rip the ball to him. And man, this shoulder and this right wrist are so wasted. I got no pop. So for people to say like, 'Oh, I felt discomfort?' Discomfort my butt, dude. I can't throw 15 yards with any kind of pop."

What would have happened

A Broncos source told Schefter that had Brees felt physically able, the team would have signed him and let him compete with backup Jarrett Stidham for the starting job. The source said: "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.'"

Had Brees returned, he would have been the second-oldest quarterback to play in an NFL game, behind George Blanda, who played at 48. His five-year Hall of Fame waiting period would have reset, postponing his induction from 2026 to 2031, as several outlets noted. Brees was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame this past August, with Payton presenting him.

Stidham's struggles

With Brees out, Stidham started the AFC Championship Game, which Denver lost 10-7 to the Patriots. Stidham completed 17 of 31 passes for 133 yards, one touchdown, one interception, and lost a fumble, according to multiple reports. The loss ended Denver's hopes of reaching Super Bowl LX.

Rule complications

Several reports highlighted league rules that would have complicated any Brees return. Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk noted that Brees remained on the Saints' reserve-retired list and that, under NFL rules, a retired player must return by the Tuesday after Week 13 to be eligible for the rest of the season. The Saints would have had to release him, and he would have been subject to waivers. Florio also raised the possibility of tampering charges if Lombardi and Carmichael spoke to Brees without the Saints' permission, a point echoed by other outlets. The league could investigate even without a complaint from the Saints, according to those reports.

Brees retired in March 2021 after a 20-year career spent mostly with the Saints, whom he led to a Super Bowl championship in the 2009 season. He ranks second all-time in passing yards and touchdowns.