Hall of Fame quarterback Drew Brees considered coming out of retirement last January to start for the Denver Broncos in the AFC Championship Game after Bo Nix broke his ankle. Brees held a private throwing workout, but persistent wrist discomfort and strict league retirement rules ultimately halted the near-historic comeback.
The Denver Broncos came astonishingly close to orchestrating one of the most unexpected quarterback comebacks in professional football history last season. Following a divisional-round playoff victory over the Buffalo Bills, the Broncos found themselves scrambling for a starter after losing quarterback Bo Nix to a broken ankle in the final moments of the game. With backup Jarrett Stidham slated to take the reins, two familiar faces in the Denver coaching staff decided to test the waters with a retired legend.
How Denver Coaches Secretly Approached Drew Brees
Former New Orleans Saints assistants Joe Lombardi, who served as Denver’s offensive coordinator, and offensive assistant Pete Carmichael quietly reached out to Drew Brees early in the week leading up to the AFC Championship Game against the New England Patriots. Brees had celebrated his 47th birthday just two days before Nix sustained his injury on Jan. 17.
According to ESPN reporting, Brees did not immediately dismiss the proposition. Instead, he requested a private workout to test whether his body could still meet the physical demands of an NFL playoff game. The inquiry drew direct inspiration from Philip Rivers coming out of retirement earlier that season to play for the Indianapolis Colts.
Head coach Sean Payton, who spent 15 seasons alongside Brees in New Orleans before taking over in Denver, remained entirely in the dark during the initial outreach. According to reporting from CBS Sports, Lombardi and Carmichael wanted to gauge the quarterback’s interest before bringing the idea to Payton, who only learned about the clandestine plot during the subsequent offseason.
Physical Limitations and the Reality of Wrist Discomfort
The dramatic return collapsed before reaching the formal negotiation stage. Brees experienced sharp discomfort in his throwing wrist during his private evaluation, leading him to realize his body could no longer withstand game action. The Denver Post confirmed that Brees told the organization he was in too much physical pain to play.
Brees later alluded to the flirtation during an appearance on the New Heights
podcast hosted by Travis and Jason Kelce.
“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, And I literally switched to water, and I started thinking about going to bed early and getting up the next day and getting my body nice and lose and going out and throwing to see if I can even pull it off.”
Drew Brees, via Denver Post and Yardbarker
After waking up and testing his arm, Brees quickly recognized reality. As Yardbarker noted, the veteran pulled the plug after his throwing session, admitting that ah, it’s not there.
In previous interviews discussing his post-playing health, Brees admitted that chronic shoulder issues from a 2005 injury heavily limited his right arm, forcing him to throw left-handed when tossing a football casually in his backyard.
League Rules and the Hall of Fame Eligibility Questions
Beyond physical hurdles, league logistics presented an insurmountable roadblock. ProFootballTalk reported that Brees remained officially listed on the New Orleans Saints’ reserve-retired list. Under NFL regulations, a retired player must file for reinstatement by the Tuesday following Week 13 to be eligible to play that season. Furthermore, the Saints would have had to release his rights, subjecting him to the league’s waiver wire.
The informal outreach by Denver assistants also sparked questions regarding league tampering rules, given that Brees remained under contract rights tied to his former franchise. Additionally, taking a single snap in an official game would have reset his five-year retirement clock, potentially delaying his induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, where he entered as part of the 2026 class.
How the AFC Championship Game Unfolded Without Brees
Left without a late-stage miracle, Denver turned to Jarrett Stidham to lead the offense against the New England Patriots in freezing conditions. Stidham struggled to spark the offense, completing 17 of 31 pass attempts for 133 yards with one touchdown, one interception, and a lost fumble. Fox News noted that the Broncos ultimately fell 10-7, sealing a bitter end to a promising postseason run and leaving the franchise to ponder what might have happened had Brees been physically able to step onto the field.
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