Drew Brees Eyes Return to Broadcasting, Discusses Possible 'ManningCast' Style Show

After taking a hiatus from broadcasting this season, Drew Brees is open to getting back in front of the camera.

Appearing on the AP Pro Football Podcast (h/t the Associated Press), Brees said he "walked away with a pretty good skill set if I choose to go back and do it" and discussed the possibility of a ManningCast-style broadcast:

"From my perspective, I just watch a game totally different than probably most people. It's hard to just sit back and watch it as a fan. You're so analytical with everything. You put yourself in the moment at all times. And I think that's a really interesting perspective for fans to hear. I look forward to finding ways that that can be communicated in a much more in-depth way that's kind of outside the norm or what is like the typical formula for broadcasting a game."

Following his retirement from the New Orleans Saints after the 2020 NFL season, NBC Sports announced it hired Brees to serve as a studio analyst for Football Night in America and as a game analyst for its coverage of Notre Dame football.

Per Andrew Marchand of the New York Post, Brees was being looked at as a potential replacement for Cris Collinsworth as the lead analyst for Sunday Night Football.

Collinsworth was brought back for NBC's Sunday night games this season, with Mike Tirico taking over for Al Michaels as the play-by-play announcer.

NBC Sports chairman Pete Bevacqua told the Associated Press in June that Brees would not be returning to the network for NFL or Notre Dame coverage in 2022.

Bevacqua noted Brees made the decision to step away in order to spend more time with his family.

The future Hall of Famer called two NFL games for the network as the lead analyst—a Thanksgiving Day showdown between the Buffalo Bills and Saints and an AFC wild-card contest featuring the Las Vegas Raiders vs. Cincinnati Bengals.

The ManningCast has established itself as one of the most entertaining and informative NFL broadcasts since its launch at the start of the 2021 season. Peyton and Eli Manning regularly offer unique insight while critiquing coaches and players over the course of a game in a way that standard broadcasts don't. They also welcome athlete and celebrity guests for interviews.

Brees played 20 seasons in the NFL from 2001 to 2020. He was the league's all-time leading passer with 80,358 yards at the time of his retirement. Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady passed him for the top spot in a Week 4 win over the New England Patriots last season.