Saints tried to lure Drew Brees out of retirement with season on the line

The New Orleans Saints are starting rookie Ian Book at quarterback this week against the Miami Dolphins. Because of this, they reached out to an NFL legend.

Book was selected in the fourth round of the NFL Draft out of Notre Dame. With dual-threat capabilities, the Saints viewed him as a potential Taysom Hill-type, but a better passer.

However, Book is still a rookie, making that potential a little far off. He’s still developing into what New Orleans believes he can be. Yet, he’s been thrown into competitive professional football before the Saints and perhaps Book are ready.

So why not reached out to Drew Brees, who now spends his time in the broadcast booth with NBC? The Saints did just that.

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Brees was reportedly in Hawaii when the Saints called and seriously considered coming out of retirement, but after talking through the opportunity decided it wasn’t worth the risk.

Plus, once the Saints got back their normal starters, Brees could be pushed to a backup role he didn’t sign up for.

Towards the end of his career, Brees struggled with arm strength and consistency. He’s not the same passer who led the Saints to a Super Bowl in 2010.

After beating the Bucs last week in a shocking shutout, the Saints sit at 7-7 on the year and are on the edges of NFC playoff competition. Adding a player like Brees — who has experience leading the Saints and previously the Chargers in critical moments — would increase the Saints’ chances immensely.

Yet, with Brees and other veterans opting against a return to the NFL at the moment, at least in part due to a COVID-19 crisis in sports, the Saints will roll with Book this week and potentially moving forward.