DREW BREES CONSIDERED BRONCOS RETURN FOR AFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

Drew Brees considered ending his retirement to play for the Denver Broncos in the AFC Championship game last season, according to a report attributed to reporter Adam Schefter. The prospect arose after starting quarterback Bo Nix suffered an ankle injury late in the Broncos' divisional-round win over the Buffalo Bills. The Broncos held discussions with Brees, the report said. The move went no further after Brees experienced discomfort in his wrist, according to the report. Brees remains on the New Orleans Saints' reserve-retired list, according to confirming reports. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in August.

Under NFL rules, a retired player must return by the Tuesday following Week 13 of a season to play again that year. After that date, he cannot appear for any team for the rest of the season, according to the report. Because Brees had retired from the Saints, the club would have needed to release him from the reserve-retired list, and he would then have been subject to waivers. The report named then-Broncos offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi and offensive assistant Pete Carmichael as having spoken with Brees. Contact with a player under another club's control, made without that club's permission, is defined under NFL rules as tampering.

The report raised the question of whether the NFL will investigate the Broncos over possible tampering in connection with the contact described. Such an inquiry could proceed even without a complaint from the Saints, according to the report. No investigation had been confirmed at the time of the report. Whether the Saints gave permission was not stated. The situation did not advance further once Brees's wrist discomfort emerged, the report said.