Drew Brees hilariously responds to Saints' offer for sensational NFL return
Drew Brees was reportedly contacted by the New Orleans Saints to fix their quarterback issues this season. The Saints were unsuccessful in their attempt to convince franchise legend Brees out of retirement before naming Ian Book as the starting quarterback for Week 16.
After losing both Taysom Hill and Trevor Siemian to COVID-19 protocol, Sean Payton's side had no other option but to make desperate moves to steady the ship as the league approaches the playoffs. The Saints reached out to Brees, Phillip Rivers and Josh McCown to fill the void. Unfortunately for the Saints, all three turned them down.
Drew Brees declines Saints' offer in bizarre fashion
Just moments after the news broke, Saints insider Nick Underhill revealed how Brees reportedly conveyed his message to the Saints. Underhill tweeted:
“Saints called Brees to gauge his interest given their circumstances at QB. Heard he sent back a photo of himself golfing.”
For the “where’s Drew Brees” crowd… he’s in Hawaii. (Not that he’s come out of retirement for any reason, but…) https://t.co/0jIEmiXKwy
The New Orleans Times-Picayune first reported the Saints' emergency call to lure the legendary Brees, which at one point seemed plausible.
“Ultimately, Brees nixed the idea, in part, because on such short notice, he wasn’t 100% confident he would be able to make the throws necessary to successfully lead the offense,” Jeff Duncan wrote via Nola.com. “He didn’t want to short-change the Saints in such a critical game at such a critical time in their playoff run.”
Saints called on Philip Rivers this week as well as Brees. Rivers ultimately decided to spend Christmas with his family.
The report also states that Saints head coach Payton had a brief chat with Brees about a possible return, but the retired quarterback is said to be embracing the holiday season with his family in Hawaii. What's interesting is that Brees gave serious thought to the Saints' offer before declining. Notably, he has also been away from regular football commentary on NBC Sports.
The Saints haven't had the best quarterback support this season as starting quarterback Jameis Winston suffered a serious knee injury in the team's victory over the Tom Brady-led Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 8, while Hill and Siemian aren't reliable enough to compete with the rest of the talented bunch around the league.
Brees retired from the NFL in 2021 with 80,358 passing yards and 571 touchdowns to his name. He was considered one of the best quarterbacks in the history of the league.