Report: Drew Brees Unable to Play Football Until September or October After Surgery

Ed Werder of ESPN threw cold water on the idea of Drew Brees making a stunning comeback to the NFL.

With the New York Post's Andrew Marchand reporting the legendary quarterback was out at NBC Sports, Brees joked he might return to the gridiron:

Werder reported Tuesday, however, that Brees recently underwent shoulder surgery and would likely be unavailable for the start of the 2022 NFL season.

Saints head coach Dennis Allen dismissed Brees' comment as a serious tease about any future plans.

"I think it was a comment made in jest, and we certainly haven't had any conversations in that regard," Allen told reporters.

New Orleans experienced a bit of a QB crisis midway through the 2021 season. Jameis Winston was out with a torn ACL, and the pair of Trevor Siemian and Taysom Hill were placed on the NFL's reserve/COVID list ahead of a Week 16 clash with the Miami Dolphins.

Jeff Duncan of NOLA.com reported the team reached out to Brees and Philip Rivers, with then-head coach Sean Payton personally calling Brees. The 13-time Pro Bowler "gave the idea some serious thought" before declining, per Duncan.

Brees seemed to be fighting a losing battle with Father Time in his final season.

He was banged up throughout the year, and his 245.2 passing yards per game were his fewest since signing with the Saints in 2006. In the team's NFC divisional round loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the future Hall of Famer finished 19-of-34 for 134 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions.

Especially in light of Werder's report, it's difficult to see how teams would view the 43-year-old Brees as a viable starting option unless they were presented with a dilemma similar to the one New Orleans experienced in December.