Broncos Reportedly Sought Brees After Nix Injury

After Bo Nix suffered a season-ending ankle injury in the divisional round of last season's playoffs, Denver assistants Joe Lombardi and Pete Carmichael contacted 47-year-old Drew Brees about returning for the AFC Championship Game against New England. Brees agreed to work out but backed out due to wrist discomfort. Denver started Jarrett Stidham, who committed two turnovers in a 10-7 loss to the Patriots. Brees and Sean Payton worked together in New Orleans for 15 seasons. Payton learned of the talks only in the offseason and was "fascinated and flabbergasted," per Adam Schefter. A Broncos source told Schefter, "At a minimum, you sign [Brees], he's 1A or 1B. And Drew's point was: 'I know how to win a game like that.'" Brees retired in March 2021 after 15 seasons, throwing for 68,010 yards and 491 touchdowns, and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in August 2026 with Payton as presenter. He teased the story on the New Heights podcast released February 11. What is contested and who says what: no dispute found in the record. Coverage also noted a similar 2021 Saints discussion about a Brees return that did not happen, and Philip Rivers unretiring last season for the Colts.