Broncos tried to lure Drew Brees out of retirement for AFC Championship after Bo Nix injury, per report

Following a late-game ankle injury to rookie quarterback Bo Nix in the divisional round, the Denver Broncos quietly explored an extraordinary postseason comeback with retired legend Drew Brees. Denver offensive coaches Joe Lombardi and Pete Carmichael, who previously coached Brees in New Orleans, initiated conversations with the 47-year-old passer ahead of the AFC Championship Game during their drive toward Super Bowl LX.

Brees, whose birthday fell mere days prior to Nix's setback, seriously entertained the proposal and conducted a personal throwing session to gauge his physical readiness. However, wrist soreness following the session promptly halted any prospective return.

Notably, head coach Sean Payton remained entirely unaware of his assistants' covert recruitment effort until the following offseason. Lombardi and Carmichael had intended to confirm Brees' genuine interest before presenting the scenario to Payton.

When Payton was eventually told about the inquiry, he initially assumed his staff was referencing a 2021 incident with the Saints, when New Orleans contacted Brees ahead of a December contest against the Miami Dolphins after Jameis Winston suffered a torn ACL and both Taysom Hill and Trevor Siemian were sidelined by COVID-19 protocols, leading to an Ian Book start.

Up nextNFL· 8h ago

NFL Week 9 injury report: Micah Parsons returns to Packers practice, Rams lose Jaylen Watson for season