While New Orleans Saints legend Drew Brees earned a spot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2026 in his first year of eligibility, his road to Canton wasn’t guaranteed. Brees retired in 2021 after 20 NFL seasons, including 15 unforgettable years with the New Orleans Saints. Yet before he became the face of that franchise, Brees just revealed that he nearly signed with the Miami Dolphins in free agency in 2006.

“I remember everything about that trip to Miami,” Drew Brees said on the recent episode of the Dan Patrick Show. “Again, like on paper, I’m coming off the major shoulder injury. Not sure if I’m ever going to play football again, but hopeful. And it’s the New Orleans Saints and the Miami Dolphins. On paper, this was the easiest decision in the world. It’s the Miami Dolphins all the way.

But also on that trip, they put Brees through a rigorous medical evaluation.

“Basically, like six hours of testing, contrast MRI tube, where I’m in the MRI literally for two hours, and they’re trying to assess just the damage that was done to my shoulder and the chances of me being able to come back and be the same,” Brees added. “I remember sticking these big needles in my arm to test my nerve endings. I mean, it was nuts. And at the end of the day, Nick Saban looked me in the eye and said, ‘Our doctors think you have a 25% chance of ever coming back and playing again.’”

After being drafted by the San Diego Chargers in 2001, Drew Brees played five seasons as the quarterback for the team, throwing for 12,348 yards and 80 touchdowns in 59 games. But a devastating injury that he suffered while playing in the Chargers’ 2005 season finale left his future in doubt. So, when he became available as a free agent after the 2005 season, only a few NFL teams pursued him, and one of those was the Miami Dolphins. 

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On paper, the recruiting of Drew Brees made sense for the Dolphins. Saban had built a defense that ranked among the league’s best in 2005 and assembled an experienced offensive staff that included Jason Garrett as quarterbacks coach and Mike Mularkey as offensive coordinator. The Dolphins also ran an offensive system similar to what Brees had operated in San Diego. Most importantly, Miami desperately needed a franchise quarterback after Dan Marino’s retirement in 2000.

However, Miami’s concerns intensified during Brees’ physical examination. Before traveling to South Florida, Brees had already undergone major surgery to repair his labrum and rotator cuff due to the injury that he suffered at the end of the 2005 season. After that, Brees faced months of rehab but never doubted that he could come back to play next season.

“I feel like I’m going to come back better than ever,” Brees said in an interview after the surgery. “In my mind, I don’t think anything’s changed. I’m serious.”

But during the Dolphins’ medical evaluation, doctors conducted extensive tests to determine whether Drew Brees could regain full strength and mobility. After reviewing the results, they concluded that Brees had only a 25% chance of ever returning to play at the NFL level. After doctors delivered their prognosis, Brees revealed that he had sought clarity from Saban.

“You know, he’s [Saban] like, I got to believe what the doctors are telling me, but we still want you, but just I’m letting you know kind of what’s been said,” Brees said. “And so I just really didn’t get the feeling that they had a ton of faith or confidence in my ability to come back.”

Despite respecting the organization, Drew Brees walked away from Miami. His agent asked that the results of the physical not be made public immediately, hoping to preserve his chances elsewhere. While Saban agreed to keep it quiet for some time, Brees searched for a team that would take a leap of faith in that short window, and it led him to New Orleans.

Why did Drew Brees choose to go to New Orleans?

Before Drew Brees arrived, the New Orleans Saints struggled for decades. In the 39 seasons before Brees, the Saints had recorded only seven winning seasons and one playoff victory. On top of that, the city of New Orleans was still recovering from Hurricane Katrina when Brees visited. While many players might’ve seen uncertainty in such a situation, Brees saw opportunity in New Orleans.

“The Saints were a totally different story from the perspective of look, I mean, we know that city was destroyed,” Drew Brees said on the recent episode of the Dan Patrick Show. “But Sean Payton and Mickey Loomis had just this unwavering belief in me to be their guy and to be a leader of that organization. And it was going to be this collaboration, and I was going to have so much input. They were building this thing around me, and it was just that moment where I felt like I had the chance to be a part of something so much greater than football.”

At that time, Saints’ head coach Sean Payton and general manager Mickey Loomis trusted Brees’ leadership and embraced the risk-reward equation, unlike Miami. And importantly, the Saints made Brees feel wanted. The Saints then offered Brees a six-year, $60 million contract with an $8 million signing bonus, but more than the money, they offered faith.

“I just felt that energy in New Orleans,” Brees told reporters after signing his deal with the Saints. “From the very beginning, there was a genuine feeling that they wanted me there. They believe I can come back from this shoulder injury and lead them to a championship. They were as confident as I am, and that meant a lot.”

Over the next 15 seasons in New Orleans, Drew Brees rewarded the franchise for the faith that they showed in him. Despite being labeled as damaged goods after his injury, Brees threw for 68,010 yards, 491 touchdowns, and 190 interceptions in 228 games for the Saints. In the process, Brees also guided the Saints to seven NFC South division titles, nine playoff wins, and their first Super Bowl win during the 2009 season.

Much like Brees, QB Baker Mayfield suffered a torn labrum in 2021 while playing for the Cleveland Browns, and it put his starting future in serious doubt. But it also made Mayfield want to prove himself, and he later revived his career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who showed faith. 

As for Brees, he also became the centerpiece of one of the most productive coach-quarterback pairings ever. Together, Brees and Payton won 142 games during the regular season, which is the second-most in NFL history for a coach-quarterback duo, trailing only the New England Patriots’ Bill Belichick and Tom Brady. The Brees-Payton duo didn’t just create a winning culture in New Orleans; they transformed the franchise’s entire identity.

When Brees retired after giving his all to the Saints, Payton praised the QB’s leadership.

“He [Brees] was a magnificent leader both on and off the field,” Payton said in an interview after Brees retired in 2021. “For all of us who had the chance to coach him, it was our privilege. His approach to business, to every aspect of his life, was amazing to watch. We are better for it. I am forever grateful for what he did for our team, our community, and for me personally.”

But Drew Brees didn’t just revive a football team – he helped lift a city. In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans needed hope. Brees and his family embraced that responsibility through his philanthropic work with the Brees Dream Foundation to donate millions toward education, healthcare, and community programs in New Orleans. Ultimately, rejection redirects destiny, and while the Saints believed in Brees, he turned that belief into one of the greatest comeback stories the NFL has ever seen.