Broncos Eyed Drew Brees as Bo Nix Injury Replacement in New Rumors on QB Mulling Ending Retirement

The Denver Broncos were forced to play Jarrett Stidham in their AFC Championship Game loss to the New England Patriots last season after Bo Nix fractured his ankle the previous round, but they reportedly first considered one of the greatest signal-callers in NFL history.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Monday that Broncos then-offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi and offensive assistant Pete Carmichael reached out to Drew Brees to see whether the 47-year-old was interested in returning for the AFC Championship Game.

According to Schefter, Brees said he would work out first to see if he was ready but decided against the idea when he experienced discomfort in his wrist.

There was plenty of familiarity in place, as Lombardi and Carmichael were both assistant coaches for the New Orleans Saints when Brees played for the NFC South team. Brees also played for and won a Super Bowl with Broncos head coach Sean Payton in New Orleans.

Notably, Schefter reported Lombardi and Carmichael reached out to Brees without consulting Payton. The idea was to see whether the quarterback would even be interested in coming back before realistically discussing it with the head coach.

Alas, the Broncos could have used the Hall of Famer.

They managed just seven points in a 10-7 loss to the Patriots. Stidham was 17-of-31 for 133 yards, one touchdown and one interception and struggled to generate any consistent momentum against the New England defense.

Had the offense been even slightly better, the Broncos could have reached the Super Bowl.

Schefter's report comes after Brees hinted he considered coming back during a February appearance on the New Heights podcast (1:12:00 mark) when he said, "I will say I've had some conversations, and I've had some moments. … I would say this: my body feels great. My mind, sharp as ever. Shoulder, wrist? Not having it."

He also said at the time "something happened where I thought there might be a chance where I could play that week."

Brees wouldn't have been the only notable quarterback comeback last season, as Philip Rivers returned to guide the Indianapolis Colts down the stretch of the 2025 campaign.

That delayed Rivers' Hall of Fame eligibility until 2031, which stands in stark contrast to Brees. Brees was a member of the 2026 Hall of Fame class but may have been forced to wait another five years if he did return.