Broncos Tried Talking Drew Brees Out of Retirement After Bo Nix’s Injury

Last season, the Denver Broncos were on the brink of a historic moment when Hall of Fame quarterback Drew Brees reportedly entertained the idea of coming out of retirement to join the team in the AFC title game. According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Brees had discussions with the team's offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi and offensive assistant Pete Carmichael about the possibility of playing in the AFC championship.

The Broncos were without their starting quarterback, Bo Nix, who had suffered a broken ankle in the final moments of their divisional win over the Buffalo Bills, leaving the position vacant for backup Jarrett Stidham to fill.

Brees, 47 at the time, expressed a desire to undergo a physical examination before committing to the team, but discomfort in his wrist ultimately led him to reject the offer. While Lombardi, Carmichael, and head coach Sean Payton were involved in the negotiations, Payton only became aware of the proposal during the offseason, describing it as both "fascinating" and "flabbergasted".

The Broncos might have benefitted from Brees' presence in the title game, considering they lost 10-7 to the New England Patriots, with Stidham making key errors in the defeat. Brees' comeback would have been comparable to Philip Rivers', who unexpectedly signed with the Indianapolis Colts in December to replace an injured Daniel Jones.

Rivers proceeded to excel in two starts before deciding to retire once again, though he maintained that he would repeat the experience. However, Brees' potential return would have been far more remarkable, given that he was recently inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame during his first year of eligibility.

Though the exact impact of Brees' return on his Hall of Fame eligibility remains unclear, the possibility of his return was all but extinguished. Even so, Brees had previously hinted at the idea of returning during an episode of the Kelce brothers' "New Heights" podcast in February, stating that he had engaged in "conversations." The timing of the episode aired shortly after the AFC championship, leaving the notion of Brees potentially donning a Broncos uniform an increasingly distant reality.