Hours before the Kansas City Chiefs and Denver Broncos kicked off on “Monday Night Football”, NFL insider Adam Schefter dropped a stunner … that 47-year-old Drew Brees nearly came off the couch to start for Denver in last season’s AFC Championship Game against the New England Patriots.
After Broncos quarterback Bo Nix broke his ankle in overtime during the divisional round, Denver was forced to turn to backup Jarrett Stidham. That led Broncos assistants Joe Lombardi and Pete Carmichael, two former Saints coaches, to quietly reach out to Brees.
New Orleans Saints retired quarterback Drew Brees (9) reacts during his hall of fame ceremony at halftime against the Denver Broncos at Caesars Superdome on Oct. 17, 2024. (Matthew Hinton/Imagn Images)
Head coach Sean Payton was kept in the dark until months later. Brees reportedly took the offer seriously and held a private throwing workout to test his arm.
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However, wrist discomfort during the session killed the idea. Realizing his body could no longer execute, Brees allegedly called off the comeback.
Had Brees returned, it would have been one of the craziest one-game comebacks in sports history. He had not taken an NFL snap in five full calendar years after retiring in 2021.
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Throwing a 47-year-old into a freezing, snowy AFC title game with zero practice reps was a massive physical gamble.
Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton talks with quarterback Bo Nix at Empower Field at Mile High in Colorado. (Isaiah J. Downing/Imagn Images)
New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees (9) before the game against the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee, on Dec. 22, 2019. (Christopher Hanewinckel/USA TODAY Sports)
Plus, taking a single active snap would have reset his five-year retirement clock, pushing his Hall of Fame induction from August 2026 back to 2031.
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On the “New Heights” podcast with Travis and Jason Kelce, Brees recalled how the Miami Dolphins rejected him in 2006 after team doctors gave his shoulder a 25% chance of recovery. Nick Saban spent years regretting that failed physical, admitting it prevented his Dolphins from reaching new heights and pushed Brees to New Orleans.
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In the end, Stidham started, the Broncos lost 10-7 to New England, and Denver was left wondering what if.
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