- May 21, 2026
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On Monday night, a report emerged that multiple Broncos coaches had reached out to retired quarterback Drew Brees about the possibility of joining the Broncos for the AFC Championship after starter Bo Nix suffered a season-ending foot injury.
The report overlooked key details, such as Brees no longer being able to throw with his right arm. Most importantly, it ignored the fact that it would have been impossible to sign Brees, since he remains on the Saints' reserve-retired list. (There's also a tampering issue arising from the report that then-offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi and offensive assistant Pete Carmichael contacted Brees, presumably without permission from the Saints.)
Coach Sean Payton was asked if he had a comment on the report, following the Week 1 loss to the Chiefs.
“No, I just know I was the odd man out, and I never heard anything about it, so it never came to anything," Payton told reporters. "I was only told about it later. I didn’t; I was just like you guys.”
Even without Payton directly contacting Brees, a potential tampering issue arises if Lombardi and Carmichael did indeed contact Brees without permission from the Saints.
The broader point for any retired player is this: Find a way to get released, so that you can return at any time. That's why Philip Rivers was able to rejoin the Colts late last year. Placement on the reserve-retired list complicates a potential return to play for another team — especially since he'd have to pass through waivers before signing, if his current team is willing to release him from the reserve-retired list.
The report overlooked key details, such as Brees no longer being able to throw with his right arm. Most importantly, it ignored the fact that it would have been impossible to sign Brees, since he remains on the Saints' reserve-retired list. (There's also a tampering issue arising from the report that then-offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi and offensive assistant Pete Carmichael contacted Brees, presumably without permission from the Saints.)
Coach Sean Payton was asked if he had a comment on the report, following the Week 1 loss to the Chiefs.
“No, I just know I was the odd man out, and I never heard anything about it, so it never came to anything," Payton told reporters. "I was only told about it later. I didn’t; I was just like you guys.”
Even without Payton directly contacting Brees, a potential tampering issue arises if Lombardi and Carmichael did indeed contact Brees without permission from the Saints.
The broader point for any retired player is this: Find a way to get released, so that you can return at any time. That's why Philip Rivers was able to rejoin the Colts late last year. Placement on the reserve-retired list complicates a potential return to play for another team — especially since he'd have to pass through waivers before signing, if his current team is willing to release him from the reserve-retired list.