Drew Brees is back in the NFL booth, and he’s as confident as ever.
The Super Bowl XLIV MVP will be a game analyst for Netflix’s NFL Christmas GameDay this winter, his first foray into the broadcast booth since a widely panned debut with NBC in 2022. And while Brees acknowledges the AFC Wild Card game he called alongside Mike Tirico that season was not his best performance, he still believes he could be one of the best color commentators in the business as soon he gets his chance.
The newly re-employed Brees staked his claim to being a “top-three guy” in the NFL broadcast booth during an appearance Friday on The Dan Patrick Show.
“I chuckle, because even as I look at the landscape right now, man I have so much respect for a lot of the guys in the booth right now, but I would step in the booth right now and be a top-three guy,” the New Orleans Saints legend said.
“Like, without question. And then you give me a few years, I could be the best. So look, I love the game. I love talking about the game. I feel like I have an insight to the game that is pretty unique given my playing experience. I see the game a totally different way, I process it a different way. So even as I watch games now and I just kind of listen to the commentary and this and that and what I’m seeing, I just feel like there’s so much more to add. So look, at the end of the day, I’m just going to wait for the right opportunity. And hopefully it comes along, but if it doesn’t that’s OK too … I do feel like I have a ton of value to add in the booth.”
Despite getting to call a pretty competitive playoff game in Cincinnati that became Joe Burrow’s first postseason win, Brees certainly did not meet the moment. The key play from the game was a disputed Bengals touchdown just before halftime, but as fans tore their hair out wondering about an errant whistle that sounded during the play, Brees ignored the strange sequence for nearly 10 real-time minutes.
It was, if anything, a sign that Brees lacked experience. In hindsight, he believes that is partially due to his role with NBC going differently than he hoped during the 2021 season.
“The unfortunate thing about that year was that the thing I wanted to do most was broadcast NFL games, and the thing I had the opportunity to do least was broadcast NFL games,” Brees explained.
NBC seemingly couldn’t decide how it wanted to use Brees after nabbing him as a top broadcasting free agent. The peacock assigned Brees to pregame studio coverage, on-site desk analysis, and Notre Dame color commentary. But he only called one NFL game before being thrust into the spotlight of the postseason.
Still, Brees insists that it was his decision to part ways with NBC that spring. Between coaching his kids and the multiple hats NBC wanted him to wear, Brees and NBC seemingly could not come to an agreement on scheduling.
“It was my decision to step away from NBC. It was not theirs. They wanted me back,” he told Patrick. “Unfortunately, I think it got reported a little bit differently and now somehow, that’s become the narrative. It could not be further from the truth.”
Within months, Brees was back doing media hits proclaiming himself one of the top analysts in football. But this timeline doesn’t fully explain why it took Brees until last season to resurface in NFL media, with a guest spot on ESPN’s Monday Night Countdown and a spot on the international feed of Netflix’s inaugural Christmas slate.
Even if Brees can explain away his poor performance calling Raiders-Bengals, rival network executives clearly took notice.
As a 46-year-old recent retiree and one of the best quarterbacks in the history of the NFL, Brees certainly could become a great analyst. His confidence won’t shock anyone.
But as promising young broadcasters like Greg Olsen, Robert Griffin III and Dan Orlovsky have learned the hard way, being outspoken and advocating for yourself only gets you so far. And those three have accomplished far more than Brees on television.