Reports of a potential Drew Brees return in 2021 were more than just rumors. During a press conference after being elected into the Saints Hall of Fame, the former quarterback confirmed that he was seriously considering coming out of retirement in 2021.
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“Very,” Brees replied when asked about his previous interest in a comeback attempt (via Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football). “I’ll just leave it at that.”
After retiring following the 2020 season, Brees was asked by the Saints to consider returning when Jameis Winston, his replacement, got injured. Although he initially declined the invitation publicly, it seems he gave the opportunity more thought than he indicated.
Brees hinted that his decision was influenced by his past injury concerns. Despite acknowledging that he couldn’t fully recover from his surgically repaired throwing shoulder, he joked that he could have resorted to his high school playbook.
“At the end of the day, it’s like, how capable … am I to do the job, right?” Brees asked reporters (via ESPN’s Katherine Terrell). “I would’ve run QB draws, I would’ve done whatever. I would’ve done some veer option. We would’ve pulled out all the stops. I was ready. Pull out the high school playbook.”
Although the 2021 rumors didn’t result in a return, speculation continued. Brees fuelled further rumors when he announced his departure from his TV role, leading to talks of a potential NFL comeback. Brees admitted that he never completely closed the door on a return because his career lacked a sense of “closure.”
“Certainly to have it be in a situation like that where you’re not able to really be with the fans and celebrate it with all those who are so important, I felt like there was a little bit of a lack of closure,” Brees said, reflecting on playing in mostly empty stadiums in 2020. “I try not to think about, like, the glance back in the Dome because I wish it would’ve been with a packed house. That energy that is so synonymous with the Superdome that I’ll always remember and what we always fed off every game day. My image of the Dome is much different than that last one.”
