Feb 5, 2026; San Franciso, CA, USA; Drew Brees during a press conference introducing the NFL Hall of Fame Class of 2026 at Palace of Fine Arts. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
‘Are You Serious?’ — Drew Brees Reveals Broncos’ Reaction to His Shock Offer 1
Drew Brees never expected to actually return to the NFL; however, when Bo Nix went down during the playoffs, the idea suddenly crossed his mind. The Hall of Fame quarterback was already retired, yet the situation in the Denver Broncos was unusual enough for him to at least wonder whether he could help head coach Sean Payton and the Broncos.
What happened next was even more unexpected. Brees says he was the one who reached out to two former New Orleans Saints coaches who were then working with the Broncos.
Drew Brees Explains His Surprise Contact With Denver Broncos
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Feb 5, 2026; San Franciso, CA, USA; Drew Brees during a press conference introducing the NFL Hall of Fame Class of 2026 at Palace of Fine Arts. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Brees explained the story while appearing on Let’s Go with Jim Gray on SiriusXM.
“Immediately texted Pete Carmichael and Joe Lombardi, my OC and quarterback coach with the Saints, they were with the Broncos. I said, “You guys need me this week?” I said, “I might be able to be ready.” And they’re like, “Are you serious? We’ll go down and tell Sean [Payton] right now.” I said, “Wait, let me get up tomorrow. Let me give this thing a go.””
Drew Brees was the one who reached out to the Broncos after Bo Nix got hurt, he told "Let's Go" on SiriusXM:
“Immediately texted Pete Carmichael and Joe Lombardi, my OC and quarterback coach with the Saints, they were with the Broncos. I said, "You guys need me this week?" I…
— Zac Stevens (@ZacStevens) September 22, 2026
The idea came to Brees shortly after he received confirmation that he had been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. According to his account, he was speaking with Hall of Fame president Jim Porter and joked that his induction meant he could not go back and play for Denver that week.
Brees immediately contacted Pete Carmichael and Joe Lombardi, two former members of the Saints coaching staff who were with the Broncos under Payton. He asked whether Denver needed him, then decided he should actually test whether his body could handle a return before taking the idea any further.
He did just that the following morning. Brees had his 13-year-old son catch passes for him in the backyard; however, the experiment quickly showed why a comeback was not realistic. His right wrist and shoulder were still serious limitations, particularly for throwing.
That ended the comeback thought before it could become anything more. The story also clears up an important part of the earlier reporting. Initial reports had suggested the Broncos’ coaches contacted Brees after Nix suffered his injury. Brees later told Ed Werder that he had been contacted by former Saints coaches on Payton’s staff, while Payton said he did not know anything about the situation until after the fact.
Now Brees has provided his own version and says he made the first move. The distinction mattered because Brees remained on the Saints’ reserve/retired list, creating potential questions about whether the Broncos personnel contacting him could have raised a tampering issue.
None of it ultimately changed what happened on the field. The 47-year-old could not physically make the comeback work, and the Broncos eventually turned to Jarrett Stidham at quarterback for the AFC Championship Game against the New England Patriots.