Future Pro Football Hall of Famer Drew Brees joined the ESPN ‘Monday Night Football’ crew ahead of Monday’s game between the Miami Dolphins and Los Angeles Rams. His sudden reappearance on TV screens caught many NFL fans off guard.
The former New Orleans Saints quarterback has mostly shied from the media since his departure from NBC in 2022. Following his retirement from the NFL after the 2020 season, Brees joined NBC in the fall of 2021 as a color analyst for Notre Dame games and an analyst on ‘Football Night in America.’
The Athletic’s media insider Andrew Marchand hinted Brees’s return could have to do with him looking for another gig: “ESPN wanted Brees before he ended up on NBC,” he tweeted. “Right now, Brees to ESPN full-time is not a thing, but, if he does well, I could see maybe developing into something.
Brees was axed after covering the AFC Wild Card playoff game between the Las Vegas Raiders and Cincinnati Bengals alongside play-by-play man Mike Tirico.
His performance drew poor reviews. Sports Illustrated writer Jimmy Traina was particularly critical of the former Saints quarterback. “It wasnt that Brees was bad. He just brought nothing to the table,” Traina wrote.
“He didnt give the viewer any sense that he was calling a playoff game. He completely whiffed on breaking down several horrible calls by the officials and just didnt offer any in-depth analysis throughout the game. He was more Jason Witten than Tony Romo.
On the field, Brees was one of the greatest quarterbacks of the 21st century. The former Chargers and Saints passer was somehow only a one-time First-team All-Pro selection but was named to 13 Pro Bowls.
The one-time Super Bowl champion was perpetually hamstrung by an underperforming Saints defense. The unit allowed the most yards of all time in 2012. From 2014-16, the New Orleans defense failed to rank better than 28th in the league in points allowed per contest.
In a recent interview with Front Office Sports, Brees expressed bullishness toward returning to the broadcast booth. I think I could be the absolute best at it if given the opportunity, he said. I valued my time at NBC so much, for that year after I played, I spent most of that time in-studio on Sunday Night Football, having to work with some incredible people.”
“But I didnt really get the chance to broadcast NFL games. And thats what I feel like Im most qualified to do. Thats what I feel like Im most passionate about.”
Many former stars in recent years have blossomed in the broadcast booth, namely Tony Romo with CBS and Greg Olsen with FOX. The jury is still out on Tom Brady.
“Certainly [that’s] where my knowledge base lies, right?” Brees continued. “Telling the story of the game, getting you inside the huddle, getting you inside the quarterbacks head, letting you know how were attacking this defense. That to me is something Id love to do down the road when the time is right.