A phone call Sean Payton never saw coming
Drew Brees was 47. He had been retired for years. And Denver rang him up about playing in an AFC title game.
The story broke Monday, via ESPN. It goes back to last January, a few days before the AFC championship game against New England. Bo Nix had just broken his ankle against Buffalo. The Broncos needed answers. Two assistants, Joe Lombardi and Pete Carmichael, came up with an idea.
Call Brees.
The pair knew him well from their years together in New Orleans. The quarterback thought it over. Then he said no, citing soreness in the wrist on his throwing arm.
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The head coach was the last to know
The awkward part: Sean Payton had no idea. His assistants ran the idea up the chain without his blessing. When it finally reached him, the Broncos head coach was, according to ESPN, “both fascinated and stunned”.
You can see why. Payton and Brees spent 15 years together with the Saints and delivered the only Super Bowl title in the franchise’s history, back in the 2009 season. Brees retired as the NFL’s all-time passing yards leader with 80,358. He is now second. He also sits second in touchdown passes, with 571.
Five years of Canton, gambled on one game
A comeback would have cost Brees something real. Once a player is reactivated, his Hall of Fame waiting clock resets to five years. Philip Rivers found that out last season: after coming out of retirement for Indianapolis, he lost his status while he was a semifinalist for the 2026 class.
Brees, though, was already a finalist. He was elected in February and inducted this summer.
Without him, Denver handed the keys to Jarrett Stidham. The result was a 10-7 loss, and the Patriots went on to Super Bowl LX. Stidham finished 17 of 31 for 133 yards, one touchdown and one interception.
Brees had dropped a hint earlier this year on a podcast. He said a team had reached out. He never said which one.
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