Drew Brees Opens Up About Near-Miss With Dolphins: “I Wasn’t Sure I’d Ever Play Again”
It’s one of the great NFL “what ifs” - a fork in the road that changed the course of two franchises and the career of a future Hall of Famer. In 2006, the Miami Dolphins had a choice: sign Drew Brees, a free agent coming off major shoulder surgery, or trade for Daunte Culpepper, who was recovering from a serious knee injury.
They chose Culpepper. The rest, as they say, is history.
But now, nearly two decades later, we’re finally hearing Drew Brees’ side of the story - and it adds a new layer to one of the most infamous decisions in Dolphins history.
Appearing on The Dan Patrick Show, Brees didn’t hold back when asked about how close he came to signing with Miami. “On paper, this was the easiest decision in the world - it’s the Miami Dolphins all the way,” Brees said.
He was drawn to the franchise, the city, and the vision laid out by then-head coach Nick Saban. He even had a yacht dinner with owner Wayne Huizenga and talked about offseason golf trips to Europe with Dan Marino.
It all felt like the right fit.
But then came the medicals.
Brees had just undergone surgery to repair a torn labrum and rotator cuff in his throwing shoulder - a daunting injury for any quarterback, let alone one whose game was built on precision and timing. He spent nearly six hours being evaluated by the Dolphins’ medical staff.
Their conclusion? There was only a 25 percent chance he’d ever throw a football again.
That diagnosis was enough to spook the Dolphins. Despite Saban’s desire to bring Brees in, the team ultimately passed.
Instead, they traded for Culpepper, who himself was recovering from a major knee injury. The gamble didn’t pay off - Culpepper lasted just one season in Miami before being released.
Meanwhile, Brees signed with the New Orleans Saints, where head coach Sean Payton made it clear he believed in him - shoulder and all. The Saints didn’t hesitate.
They saw a leader. They saw potential.
They saw something Miami didn’t.
And Brees delivered. Over the next 15 years, he rewrote the Saints’ record books, turned New Orleans into a perennial contender, and brought home the franchise’s first and only Super Bowl title. He’s now on his way to the Hall of Fame.
But what’s fascinating about Brees’ recent comments is that, for the first time publicly, he admitted he wasn’t sure he could play again either. “I’m coming off a major shoulder injury, not sure if I am ever going to play football again,” he said.
He called his mindset at the time “hopeful” - not confident, not certain. Just hopeful.
That vulnerability adds a new wrinkle to the story. For years, the narrative has been that Miami’s doctors blew it - that they passed on a surefire Hall of Famer.
But Brees’ own uncertainty gives some context to the Dolphins’ caution. They weren’t alone in their doubts.
Even Brees had them.
Still, it doesn’t change the outcome. Miami passed.
New Orleans pounced. Saban, without a quarterback he trusted, returned to the college ranks.
Culpepper was gone after a year. And Brees?
He became the face of a franchise - just not the one in South Florida.
There’s a bit of poetic irony in how it all played out. In 2007, just a year after being cut by the Dolphins, Culpepper returned to Miami - this time as a Raider - and led Oakland to a win over a Dolphins team coached by Cam Cameron. It was a full-circle moment, but not the kind Miami fans hoped for.
Today, Brees looks back on that decision point with clarity. He’s not bitter.
If anything, he seems reflective. And for Dolphins fans, there’s a strange comfort in hearing him say he wasn’t sure he’d ever throw again.
It doesn’t make the miss any easier to swallow, but it does humanize it.
Because in some alternate universe, Brees is entering the Hall of Fame as a Dolphin. Maybe he and Marino are still taking those golf trips in the offseason. Maybe the Lombardi Trophy is sitting in a glass case in Miami instead of New Orleans.
But in this universe, the Dolphins are still searching for their next great quarterback. And Drew Brees? He’s setting the record straight - one more time, with that trademark precision.