The Saints are in some deep trouble ahead of Week 16 as they are slated to start third-string quarterback Ian Book against Miami after Taysom Hill and Trevor Siemian both entered COVID-19 protocols. Their desperation reportedly sought out a familiar face before giving Book the starting nod.
New Orleans called Drew Brees this week in an attempt to bring him out of retirement, according to NOLA.com’s Jeff Duncan. Brees wasted no time turning it down, in part because he “wasn’t 100% confident he would be able to make the throws necessary to successfully lead the offense,” per Duncan.
“Brees was the first person the Saints called, according to multiple sources that I spoke with this week,” Duncan wrote. “Payton called him personally. Brees was in Hawaii with his family, and from what I’ve been able to gather, he gave the idea some serious thought.”
“Saints called Brees to gauge his interest given their circumstances at QB. Hear he sent back a photo of himself golfing.”
Brees retired from the Saints following the 2020 season. He finished his NFL career with 80,358 passing yards and 571 touchdowns.
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Saints head coach Sean Payton spoke to the media about Book on Friday.
“He’s played in real big games and he’s done it consistently — if you’re measuring wins and losses — better than any quarterback in Notre Dame history,” Payton said, via NFL.com. “Obviously, there’s a transition to this level, but I think he’s up for the challenge.”
Book will make his first NFL start on Monday after being selected in the fourth round of the 2021 NFL draft. He tossed 72 touchdowns and 20 interceptions in four seasons at Notre Dame from 2017-20.
