Sean Payton is finally breaking his silence on one of the wildest NFL rumors of the offseason — and he claims he was just as out of the loop as the rest of us.
Speaking to reporters Monday, the Denver Broncos head coach said he had no idea his own offensive staff had approached Hall of Fame quarterback Drew Brees about coming out of retirement for last season's AFC Championship Game. According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, then-offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi and offensive assistant Pete Carmichael reached out to Brees after starter Bo Nix injured his ankle in the divisional round win over Buffalo. Brees, who turns 47 in January, reportedly declined after feeling wrist discomfort during a workout.
“No, I just know I was the odd man out, and I never heard anything about it, so it never came to anything,” Payton said, via DNVR Sports. “I was only told about it later. I didn't. I was just like you guys.”
Payton, who coached Brees for 15 seasons in New Orleans, said he didn't learn of the scheme until after the season ended. According to Schefter, Lombardi and Carmichael never informed their head coach during the playoff run.
The Broncos' radical plan reportedly had Brees as a potential starter over Jarrett Stidham, with a source saying, “At a minimum, you sign [Brees], he's 1A or 1B. And Drew's point was: 'I know how to win a game like that.'”
Denver ultimately lost 10-7 to the Patriots in snowy conditions, with Stidham throwing for 133 yards, a touchdown, and an interception. The team fell one game short of the Super Bowl.
Payton said he was “fascinated and flabbergasted” when he finally heard about the attempt. The story has become one of the NFL's most bizarre what-ifs — a 47-year-old legend trying to shake off years of rust in a matter of days to play in freezing weather against a stout defense.
While Brees never took the field, his legacy continues to spark conversation. Fans recently debated his all-time ranking, and his records remain untouched as he heads into the Hall of Fame.
For Payton, the whole episode is a reminder that even a head coach can't control everything. “I was just like you guys,” he said — and for once, that's exactly the truth.
