Hall of Famer Drew Brees was offered a chance at a comeback last season and nearly went for it.
According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, then-Denver Broncos offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi reached out to Brees about a return to the field for the AFC championship game after quarterback Bo Nix broke his leg.
Brees, who turned 47 two days before Nix was injured in the divisional round, reportedly seriously considered the offer but ultimately declined after doing a workout and feeling pain in his wrist.
Jarrett Stidham started in Nix's place, completing 17 of 31 passes for 133 yards, one touchdown and one interception as the Broncos lost a snowy game to the New England Patriots.
Brees retired from the NFL in March of 2021 and was enshrined in Canton this past summer. A comeback with the Broncos would have reunited Brees with head coach Sean Payton. The duo formed one of the most successful coach-quarterback pairings of the last quarter-century with the New Orleans Saints, making the playoffs eight times and winning the Super Bowl in 2010.
However, according to Schefter, Payton didn't know about Lombardi's plan to bring Brees out of retirement at the time, and he only learned of the scheme over the summer.
"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,'" an unnamed source told Schefter.
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