When Drew Brees retired in 2020, he didn't waste any time getting into broadcasting.
Within a matter of months he was already set for a busy schedule with Notre Dame play-by-play duties and studio work for NBC. That busy schedule became a problem.
"I traveled for 26 consecutive weekends and missed all my kids’ games," Brees said. "I’m like, well, I can't do that. That lifestyle doesn’t work right now."
Having more time for his kids was one of the reasons Brees cited for hanging it up when he did, though he also made it clear in his Saints Hall of Fame acceptance speech that his right shoulder giving out ultimately made the decision for him. Brees called just two games in the NFL that year, one being a Thanksgiving day game between the Bills and Saints in the Caesars Superdome, the other being a playoff showdown between the Bengals and Raiders.
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Brees stepped away from the broadcast booth after that season and has since focused on coaching his kids' teams, business interests and he even established an annual pickleball festival in New Orleans. Still, he made it clear this week that his broadcast dream is far from dead, just on hold.
"The thing that I wanted to do most that I felt like I could bring the most value in was broadcasting NFL games and it’s the thing I had the least opportunity to do. ... But man, I love the game," he said. "I would love to broadcast NFL games at some point again. I think I could be the best at it."
It was clearly something Brees had on his mind, given that the question he was answering was about whether he'd ever feel normal watching games in the Superdome as a fan, something he's done several times over the past few seasons.
He even doubled down on social media, replying to the Saints' post of the above quote with a clear message.
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"Yep, I said it. SNF, MNF or Thursday Night Football. Come get me when you’re ready!" Brees posted. "Until then I’m coaching ball."
That coaching, of course, will be in youth football circles, though a handful of his former teammates have gone into NFL coaching. Two of them, Josh Hill and Jahri Evans, are current members of the Saints' staff.
He also plans to continue as a sounding board for the current and future generation of NFL players, noting that about a half-dozen current QBs had reached out to him this year to go over a variety of subjects.
"We wouldn’t be where we are without having those guys along the way," Brees said, "and now the baton is passed to us to be that next generation of mentors for the guys that are coming up.”