Former New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees hadn’t been part of a major network’s NFL coverage since leaving NBC in 2022 until his appearance on ESPN’s Monday Night Countdown.
Brees still bears the sting of how poorly his one-year stint with NBC Sports went and has said frequently that he wants another shot as a broadcaster. He got it on Monday and by all accounts proved he’s still worth a spot in someone’s NFL coverage.
Brees joined host Scott Van Pelt and analysts Ryan Clark, Jason Kelce, and Marcus Spears to preview Monday Night Football’s showdown between the Miami Dolphins and Los Angeles Rams. If you didn’t know better, you might have just assumed he was a regular member of the team. Brees seemed comfortable behind the desk, peppering the discussion with interesting stories from his playing days, legitimate football insight, and even cracking a few jokes.
Drew Brees knew how to motivate his team. Here he is talking about how he kept players like @Cantguardmike engaged when they had a roster of playmakers. pic.twitter.com/XvcHqTrpGg
— Farrah Yvette (@farrah_yvette) November 12, 2024
It’s hard to see how this was the same guy who flamed out at NBC following a disastrous turn during NBC’s broadcast of an NFL playoff game. While he had worked on the Football Night in America studio show and called Notre Dame football, NBC reportedly soured on the former QB following that performance.
Since then, Brees has told anyone who’ll listen that he wouldn’t squander his second chance. Meanwhile, plenty of people in sports media wondered when he’d get that shot.
Per Andrew Marchand, “Brees to ESPN full-time is not a thing, but, if he does well, I could see maybe developing into something.”
Well, he did well, so we’ll see if it develops into something.
[Farrah Yvette, ESPN]
