Broncos coaches sought retired Brees for 2025 AFC title game

The Denver Broncos' assistant coaches contacted retired Hall of Fame quarterback Drew Brees about playing in the 2025 AFC Championship Game after starter Bo Nix suffered a fractured ankle, according to multiple reports. The attempt to lure the 47-year-old out of retirement ultimately failed after a workout revealed physical limitations. The effort was initiated by then-offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi and offensive assistant Pete Carmichael, both of whom had long-standing relationships with Brees from their time together with the New Orleans Saints. The assistant coaches reached out to Brees in the days following Nix's injury during the Broncos' Divisional Round victory over the Buffalo Bills in January. Brees, who had not played since his final snap with the Saints on January 17, 2021, told the coaches he would first need to test his body. After attempting to throw, Brees experienced discomfort in his wrist and shoulder, leading him to decline the opportunity. "I really think I'd still be playing if the shoulder and the wrist wouldn't have started letting me down," Brees said in a February interview on the New Heights podcast.