Drew Brees nearly returned at 47 to start Broncos AFC Championship Game Drew Brees was reportedly in talks to replace injured Broncos quarterback Bo Nix in last season's AFC Championship Game, but his wrist and shoulder prevented the comeback. Denver instead started Jarrett Stidham in a 10-7 loss to New England. Drew Brees nearly returned to the NFL at age 47 to start for the Denver Broncos in last season's AFC Championship Game, according to an ESPN report. The comeback would have come only weeks after another retired quarterback, who returned at age 44 to join the Colts for three games at the end of the 2025 season. The opportunity emerged after Broncos quarterback Bo Nix fractured his ankle in overtime during Denver's Divisional Round victory over the New England Patriots last January. With the AFC Championship Game against New England scheduled for the following Sunday, Denver explored whether Brees could take over.Brees turned 47 two days before Nix suffered the injury. The former New Orleans Saints quarterback reportedly spoke with Denver offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi and offensive assistant Pete Carmichael about preparing to face the Patriots. Lombardi and Carmichael had both coached Brees with the Saints. Their discussions focused on whether the longtime quarterback could get ready quickly enough to play one game, despite not taking an NFL snap in five full calendar years after retiring in 2021.Brees reportedly took the possibility seriously and held a private throwing workout to test his arm. He also described considering an early night, waking up the next morning, loosening his body and throwing to determine whether he could realistically make the comeback. On the New Heights podcast with Travis and Jason Kelce, Brees said, There was a moment this year ... something happened where I thought there might be a chance I would play that week.He said he began thinking about how to prepare his body for the opportunity. Brees later tossed the ball to his son, but the workout showed that his wrist and shoulder were not functioning well enough. As he put it, I wouldn't have been able to break that glass 10 feet away. He also said, I really think I'd still be playing if the shoulder and the wrist wouldn't have started letting me down.Brees is now an NFL analyst for Fox, having completed a career that led to his induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Sean Payton, Denver's head coach, had coached Brees for 14 seasons but was reportedly kept in the dark about the initial discussions. According to the report, Payton did not know Lombardi and Carmichael had contacted Brees until the offseason. When Payton learned what had happened, he was described as both fascinated and flabbergasted.The coach and his former quarterback discussed the near comeback further this summer, when Payton presented Brees for induction at the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Instead of Brees, the Broncos turned to Jarrett Stidham for the AFC Championship Game. Stidham threw for 133 yards and one touchdown, but Denver lost 10-7 to New England. Had Brees played, the appearance would have ranked among the most remarkable one-game comebacks in sports history.He had not played an NFL snap since Jan. 17, 2021, meaning the game would have taken place five years to the day after his final snap. A return also would have affected Brees' Hall of Fame eligibility timeline. Players cannot be inducted until five years after their careers conclude, so playing again would have reset the clock on his eligibility. The possibility was especially notable because Brees had previously spoken about how a failed physical shaped his career.On the New Heights podcast in February, he recalled that the Miami Dolphins rejected him in 2006 after team doctors said his shoulder had only a 25% chance of recovery. Brees has said he spent years regretting that failed physical, believing it prevented Miami from reaching new heights and ultimately pushed him toward New Orleans. His career with the Saints later made him one of the defining quarterbacks of his generation.Brees was pictured before a game against the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium in Nashville on Dec. 22, 2019, and during a Saints game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte on Jan. 3, 2021. He was also shown during his Hall of Fame ceremony at halftime of the Saints' game against Denver at Caesars Superdome on Oct. 17, 2024.He was introduced during the 2026 Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Ceremony at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio, on Aug. 8, 2026. Those appearances underscored how close the former quarterback was to a historic final chapter, even though his wrist and shoulder ended the Broncos' pursuit.