Down to their fourth-string quarterback because of a COVID-19 outbreak, the New Orleans Saints reportedly tried to lure former star quarterbacks Drew Brees and Philip Rivers out of retirement to play against the Miami Dolphins on Monday night.
With Taysom Hill and Trevor Siemian on the NFL’s reserve/COVID-19 list and rookie Ian Book set to start against the Dolphins, the Saints reached out to Brees and Rivers, according to Jeff Duncan of NOLA.com.
However, according to Duncan, both future Hall of Famers rejected the idea, leading the Saints to sign veteran Blake Bortles to fill in if needed.
According to the report, Brees “wasn’t 100 percent confident he would be able to make the throws necessary to successfully lead the offense.” The report also stated that Saints coach Sean Payton personally called Brees about the opportunity.
Brees, the former Saints legendary quarterback, joined the broadcast booth as an analyst for NBC Sports after retiring at the end of last season. Rivers, the longtime Chargers great, retired after spending last season with the Indianapolis Colts.
The Saints have been hit hard by COVID-19 with the outbreak infecting at least 15 players and several coaches.
Jameis Winston opened the season as the team’s starter before suffering a season-ending knee injury in Week 7.
Book, the rookie out of Notre Dame, is slated to make his NFL regular-season debut against the Dolphins in the Superdome on Monday night. Both the Dolphins (7-7) and Saints (7-7) are fighting for their playoff lives.
