The Denver Broncos reached out to Hall of Fame quarterback Drew Brees about guiding them in the AFC Championship Game last season, according to ESPN.
Broncos assistant coaches Joe Lombardi and Pete Carmichael initiated the proposal, which the then-47-year-old Brees mulled before ultimately declining because of discomfort in his throwing wrist.
Those discussions reportedly took place without the knowledge or approval of coach Sean Payton.
ESPN reported that Payton was “both fascinated and flabbergasted” by the news once informed of it.
Payton and Brees had an immensely successful partnership over 15 years together with the New Orleans Saints. Brees retired as the NFL’s all-time passing yards leader (80,358) and now sits second on the list, as well as second in touchdown passes (571). The duo led New Orleans to the franchise’s first Super Bowl championship in the 2009 season.
Denver starting quarterback Bo Nix sustained a broken ankle against the Buffalo Bills the weekend before the AFC Championship, leaving Denver scrambling for options ahead of its matchup with the New England Patriots.
Backup Jarrett Stidham played the whole way in the eventual 10-7 loss that sent the Patriots to Super Bowl LX. Stidham completed 17 of 31 passes for 133 yards, one touchdown and one interception.
Brees, voted into the Hall of Fame in February of this year and inducted this summer, had been previously ruled eligible for the honor when he reached the Hall’s five-year waiting requirement the prior summer. A return to an active roster ordinarily would have reset Brees’ five-year Hall of Fame eligibility clock, though his comeback would have created an unusual situation because he was already a finalist for the Class of 2026.
Philip Rivers, who came out of retirement with the Indianapolis Colts last season, had his eligibility clock reset after he was activated. Rivers had advanced to the semifinalist stage for the Class of 2026 before becoming ineligible.
Brees previously acknowledged that an NFL team had reached out with interest during a podcast interview earlier this year.