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NFL fans came very close to witnessing one of the most improbable comebacks in league history.
After Bo Nix suffered a serious injury, the Denver Broncos reportedly explored a rather spectacular option: convincing Drew Brees to come out of retirement to play in the AFC Championship Game.
Nix fractured his ankle during the Broncos' overtime victory against the Buffalo Bills in the playoffs. His injury quickly forced Denver to consider various options at the quarterback position.
According to reports by Adam Schefter, Joe Lombardi and Pete Carmichael—who worked with Brees for many years in New Orleans—are said to have spoken with the former quarterback to determine whether he could make a comeback in time for the matchup against the New England Patriots.
The scenario was particularly intriguing since Brees had just celebrated his 47th birthday, two days before Nix's injury.
Brees wanted to test his body first
However, Drew Brees did not immediately accept the idea. The former Saints player first wanted to participate in a few practices to determine whether his body could still meet the demands of an NFL game.
Brees reportedly gradually increased the intensity of his throwing sessions throughout the week. Unfortunately for the Broncos, the experiment did not yield the hoped-for results.
The former quarterback felt discomfort in his wrist and ultimately decided to abandon the idea of a comeback.
It would have been an extraordinary scenario, however. Brees could have been reunited with Joe Lombardi and Pete Carmichael, two coaches with whom he had enjoyed tremendous success in New Orleans. He would also have been reunited with Sean Payton, his former head coach with the Saints, who is now at the helm of the Broncos.
A reunion between Drew Brees and Sean Payton in Denver would have added a particularly emotional dimension to this improbable story.
Even though the return ultimately never materialized, the mere fact that Brees seriously considered the possibility remains remarkable. At age 47, he would have attempted to return to competition under the most demanding circumstances possible: an AFC Championship Game with a spot in the Super Bowl on the line.
Broncos fans may therefore wonder what might have happened if Drew Brees's body had held up well enough for this final adventure.
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