When Bo Nix went down in the Broncos’ AFC Divisional Round win over the Bills, the timing could hardly have been worse. He broke his ankle on the second-to-last play of the game, just before Denver’s game-winning field goal sent the Broncos to the AFC Championship Game.
The injury news landed like a gut punch, and Denver’s next step at quarterback didn’t work out. Jarrett Stidham was not able to do enough for the Broncos to win the following week.
Then came the Monday Night Football pregame bombshell from Adam Schefter: Denver had at least explored an extraordinary option. According to Schefter, Pete Carmichael and Joe Lombardi, longtime Sean Payton assistants and former Broncos coaches, privately contacted Drew Brees to see whether he had any interest in coming out of retirement for the AFC title game.
“ESPN sources: Hall-of-Fame QB Drew Brees mulled playing for the Denver Broncos in last season’s AFC Championship game. https://t.co/SfsBCUPjLz
- Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 14, 2026”
It never got past the interest stage. Brees ultimately passed because of discomfort in his wrist.
Still, the idea was startling enough to stop you in your tracks. With Nix injured so suddenly at the game’s most important position, the Broncos could have been kicking around all kinds of emergency solutions in the heat of the moment.
And Brees was not some random name. He and Payton built Hall of Fame careers together with the Saints from 2006 to 2020. Brees turned 47 years old in January, so the comeback ask would have been enormous, but the fact that he worked out at all suggests the possibility was seriously considered.
Brees closed his NFL run with six straight seasons of a passer rating above 100 over his final six years. He finished his Saints career with 491 touchdown passes, 142 wins, and 68,010 passing yards.
The Saints’ Super Bowl win over Peyton Manning’s Colts in the 2009 season was one of the signature results from the Payton-Brees partnership, which produced some of the league’s best offenses over the years.
In Other News...
Bucs Loss Took On New Meaning After What Happened To Joe Burrow
The Buccaneers Week 1 loss in Cincinnati already carried the usual sting of a close defeat, but it has taken on a different feel in the days since. Joe Burrow was sharp in the Bengals 33-27 win, directing the offense efficiently and making enough plays with both his arm and legs to keep Tampa Bay chasing the game, while the Bucs had to leave one of their first test cases of the season knowing they came up short against a high-end quarterback.
What has added a wrinkle is Burrows condition afterward, with the Bengals monitoring him after he dealt with back tightness and shoulder discomfort in practice following the game. He took two significant hits against Tampa Bay, and while the soreness has created some uncertainty, Burrow says he plans to play in Week 2 against Houston, which only underscores how expensive a narrow opener can become for a team trying to measure itself early. [Read more 🡒]
Mike Evans Already Got What He Was Missing In Tampa
Mike Evans first game in San Francisco gave him something he had been chasing as his Buccaneers career wound down, a new stage where he could still matter in a prominent way. After 12 seasons in Tampa Bay, Evans joined the 49ers to chase another Super Bowl while staying a featured piece of the offense, and his debut suggested the fit could be exactly what he wanted.
Evans was a steady answer when the 49ers needed one, catching six passes for 49 yards and a touchdown while working as a key third-down target. Kyle Shanahan singled out the impact Evans made and said the offense was built to play to his strengths, which is exactly the sort of role Tampa Bay could not keep offering as the veteran moved on to his next chapter. [Read more 🡒]
Rueben Bain Jr. Already Has Bucs Fans Facing An Early Debate
Rueben Bain Jr.s first NFL game did not give Tampa Bay much to cling to statistically, and that alone was enough to stir up an early debate around the Buccaneers first-round pick. A former NFL player took aim at Bains physical attributes and the quiet debut, but the bigger takeaway for the Bucs is how quickly the conversation around a highly touted rookie can split between instant-gratification criticism and the long view.
Inside the building, the mood has been far different. Several coaches and teammates remain confident Bains future is still ahead of him, which is hardly unusual for a player making the jump into the league and feeling the speed of it for the first time. For Tampa Bay, the question now is less about one rough opener than whether Bains tools and support system will start showing up once the season settles in. [Read more 🡒]