Overview
- After Bo Nix fractured his ankle, Broncos assistants Joe Lombardi and Pete Carmichael privately reached out about a possible Drew Brees comeback for the AFC Championship following the Jan. 17, 2026 divisional-round game.
- Brees agreed to test his arm but felt discomfort in his throwing wrist during a workout and declined to unretire after concluding he was not physically ready.
- Head coach Sean Payton learned of the outreach only in the offseason because Lombardi and Carmichael initially handled the contacts without informing him.
- Practical hurdles would have complicated any return because Brees remained on the Saints’ reserve-retired list and NFL timing rules normally prevent mid-playoff activations, with a return likely to reset his five-year Hall of Fame eligibility clock.
- With Brees unavailable, Jarrett Stidham started the AFC title game in a 10-7 loss, and media coverage has compared the episode to recent veteran unretirements while noting no public NFL tampering investigation has been reported.