Drew Brees, Sean Payton Address Potential Broncos Reunion

Brees’ account aligns with Monday’s report that former Saints coaches Joe Lombardi and Pete Carmichael, who were serving on Sean Payton’s staff in Denver, reached out to the 47-year-old about replacing Bo Nix after his divisional round injury. Brees said that the communication happened the morning after he was informed of his selection to the Hall of Fame. He first ensured that un-retiring would not affect his gold jacket status, which “flipped the switch” and encouraged him to test his arm.

But a throwing session with his son quickly showed that Brees’ arm was too damaged from two decades of NFL wear-and-tear, including major surgeries on his shoulder and thumb.

Payton was quick to distance himself from any discussion of a reunion with Brees, saying on Monday (via Chris Tomasson of the Denver Post) that he was “kind of out of the loop.”

“I don’t think it’s a big story,” Payton added, noting that Brees’ discussions with Lombardi and Carmichael “never got to my level” and did not come to his attention until the Hall of Fame induction ceremony in August. He even indicated that it was Brees, not his assistant coaches, who initiated the contact, per Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio, contrary to the initial report and Brees’ own comments.

Payton is understandably cautious about acknowledging any involvement in the recruitment of a retired player. Brees’ contract rights still belonged to the Saints, according to Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football, opening the door to a potential tampering violation. The NFL previously punished the Dolphins after they committed tampering violations relating to Payton and Tom Brady by stripping them of first- and third-round picks.

Brees and Payton could have asked general manager Mickey Loomis and their former team to release Brees’ rights, Werder adds. But by all accounts, conversations about the 2025 season’s second shocking quarterback return – much like Brees’ attempts to throw a football after five years in retirement – barely got off the ground.