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By Victor Barbosa
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It was first reported on Sept. 14 that the Denver Broncos tried talking legendary quarterback Drew Brees out of retirement to join the team ahead of last season's AFC Championship Game after starting signal-caller Bo Nix suffered an ankle injury.
Broncos head coach Sean Payton, who led Brees' New Orleans Saints during the latter's entire run with the franchise from 2006 to 2020 said last week that he was unaware of Denver's pursuit of the 2026 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee.
Brees discussed the situation during Monday's episode of the "Let's Go" podcast on SiriusXM with co-host Jim Gray.
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"So my wrist and my shoulder, I don't throw with my right side anymore," the 13-time Pro Bowler said, as transcribed by NFL.com senior news writer Kevin Patra. "I mean, I could throw it 10 yards and it's with a lot of pain, you know? So that's definitely not gonna get the job done. Now, my mind, my body, everything else feels great, but my right wrist, right shoulder wouldn't allow it to happen. But did I think about it? Absolutely, 1,000 percent. I would've loved to come back and play for the Broncos in the AFC Championship Game, get my coach and a bunch of the other guys that I know in that organization, the Penner family, to the Super Bowl. Would've loved it."
Brees retired following the 2020 campaign.
He said that he first thought about coming out of retirement when he was informed of his enshrinement into the Hall of Fame.
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"So I get the knock (from the Hall of Fame), I get the knock literally on Monday, January 19. It was the day after the Divisional Round, where the news had come out that Bo Nix had hurt his foot, he was gonna be out," Brees said on the podcast. "So Jim Porter, who's the president of the Hall of Fame, we're there, we're having this moment. Dan Fouts is telling me I'm in the Hall of Fame. And I look at Jim Porter and said, 'Well, I guess this means I can't go back and play for the Broncos this week.' And he goes, 'Actually, you can do whatever you want.' He said, 'Voting's already been done, you're in, you can do whatever you want.'"
The two-time AP Offensive Player of the Year added that he then reached out to Denver's then-offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi and offensive assistant Pete Carmichael via text to talk about the possibility.
Carmichael and Lombardi both worked on Payton's staff in New Orleans.
"And so I'm telling you when I say I like flipped the switch, I flipped the switch. Immediately texted Pete Carmichael and Joe Lombardi, my OC and quarterback coach with the Saints, they were with the Broncos. I said, 'You guys need me this week?' I said, 'I might be able to be ready.' And they're like, 'Are you serious? We'll go down and tell Sean right now.' I said, 'Wait, let me get up tomorrow. Let me give this thing a go.' So I got up the next morning and I gave it a go. I had my 13-year-old son catching balls for me in the backyard. And man, it just was not happening with the right side. Left side, inside the 20 I would have been lethal. At least could have gotten them in and out of the right plays. But no, it wasn't going to happen."
Brees then contacted Carmichael and Lombardi again and told them the news and added that he'd attend the AFC Championship Game for "moral support."
The Broncos started backup Jarrett Stidham in Nix's place and fell to the New England Patriots, 10-7.
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