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Drew Brees is one of the most lethal passers in NFL history, with the New Orleans Saints quarterback racking up more passing yards in league history than anyone else, more passing touchdowns than everybody else, and currently sitting third on the all-time list for best passer rating, so a spot in Canton is coming his way the first time his name shows up on that Hall of Fame ballot. Not too bad for an apparent “undersized” quarterback who was given up on with the then San Diego Chargers in favor of Philip Rivers, huh?
While the Pro Football Hall of Fame is a given at some point whenever Drew Brees decides to call it quits from the NFL, there’s apparently something else that’s waiting for him, too — a spot on ESPN’s Monday Night Football crew.
According to a report from Outkick the Coverage, ESPN has allegedly already sent the Saints signal-caller an “eight-figure offer” to join the MNF booth whenever his NFL days are over. If true, this would be an unprecedented move, with an active player having already made a seemingly handshake agreement to join the broadcast team before he retires. Take a look below at some of the reported details.
Outkick has learned ESPN has made an eight-figure offer to current New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees to become the network’s Monday Night Football lead analyst. Brees’ ascendance to the Monday Night Football booth would begin as soon as he retires from the NFL.
The 41-year-old quarterback debated retirement this off-season before electing to return for at least one more year. Brees, who presently makes $25 million a year this year and is also on track to make $25 million next year, recently donated $5 million to Louisiana charities. He’s a beloved figure in the NFL and there is a nearly universal belief among television executives that he would be fantastic in the broadcast booth.”
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While the two sides have not agreed to terms yet, the plan would be for a deal between Brees and ESPN to remain quiet until Brees officially retires. That’s because there is some trepidation inside Disney about announcing an eight figure yearly deal in the midst of the coronavirus shut down of the company’s sports properties, which could soon lead to layoffs. Not to mention the awkwardness of a player who is still currently playing already having agreed to a post-playing career job in the media.
With ESPN missing out on both Tony Romo — who re-upped with CBS for a record-breaking deal — and Peyton Manning to fill a spot on the Monday Night Football crew for this upcoming season, it seems like they’re trying to stay ahead of the curve by trying to snag Drew Brees before he’s even done playing. If true, it’s a wild maneuver, but a smart one.
Although Brees just re-signed with the Saints for another two years at $50 million, it appears as if ESPN’s willing to wait that mega-deal out and happily hand him a microphone to analyze games the second he retires from the league. Plus, there were reports that the quarterback was ready to retire at the most recent Pro Bowl, but ended up changing his mind, so the end is near.
While nothing’s agreed upon just yet — and the reported deal is believed to be an “eight-figure offer” — this whole Monday Night Football gig isn’t a bad option for the 41-year-old Brees to have on the table whenever his illustrious playing career does finally come to an end.