Former New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees will be part of the NBC Sports broadcast crew working this week’s playoff game between the Cincinnati Bengals and Las Vegas Raiders, offering in-game analysis with veteran play-by-play caller Mike Tirico. Kathryn Tappen will report from the sidelines at Paul Brown Stadium, and Terry McAuley will be on hand as NBC’s rules analyst.
It’s the first playoff game Brees will work as a commentator, but this isn’t his first trip to the booth in the NFL. He made his pro debut at the Caesars Superdome on Thanksgiving after first teaming up with Tirico on NBC’s broadcasts of Notre Dame college football games this fall. He’s found immediate success in the role and sure sounds comfortable on the mic.
And he’ll have plenty to talk about in this game given all the Louisiana connections. His former teammates like Trey Hendrickson, Vonn Bell, and Eli Apple are playing for Cincinnati now, as are college stars at LSU that he grew close with like Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase (incidentally, this same Bengals team is visiting the Saints next season). If Saints fans were on the fence about tuning in for a playoff game this weekend, this one might be the one to pick. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. CT on Saturday, Jan. 15.
