Drew Brees was recently inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame class of 2026. The legendary QB had been retired since 2020, making him eligible since he was retired for five seasons. That was almost not the case, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
It was reported prior to the Monday night football game between the Denver Broncos and Kansas City Chiefs that Brees considered a return to the NFL for last season’s AFC Championship. Here’s everything we know about this blockbuster story.
Broncos HC Sean Payton is the obvious connection to Brees, but he was unaware of the near comeback, according to Schefter. Denver had two offensive coaches reach out to Brees, Joe Lombardi and Pete Carmichael.
Brees did not instantly shut the opportunity down; instead he wanted to work out and see how his body responded. He had just recently turned 47-years-old before being presented with the opportunity to return.
Brees felt discomfort in his wrist when attempting this comeback, leading to him choosing to not make a return. If he had made the comeback, it would have been the most legendary return in NFL history.
The Broncos played the AFC Championship with Jarrett Stidham as their starting QB. The game was ugly, but the New England Patriots snuck out with a 10-7 win and a ticket to the Super Bowl. Who knows how that game would have gone if Brees were starting at quarterback in place of Bo Nix, but it’s safe to say it very well could have been a much different result.
Brees and Payton had so many incredible moments together during their time with the New Orleans Saints. It is crazy to imagine that there was almost even more history with the two.
Brees spent 15 seasons with the Saints, throwing for over 68,000 yards and nearly 500 touchdowns. He made the Pro Bowl 12 times with New Orleans.
Payton also spent 15 years with the Saints before briefly retiring following the 2021 season. He returned to the NFL in 2023 for the Broncos.
Payton and Brees won the Super Bowl in 2009 in one of the most memorable games in NFL history.
If Brees hadn’t felt that discomfort in his wrist, who knows what the outcome would have looked like. The one thing we now know is that Drew Brees was all of a sudden two games away from a second Super Bowl championship. A crazy development as we kick off the NFL season.
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