Drew Brees already has his post-playing career lined up. The longtime Saints quarterback has signed a broadcasting deal with NBC, sources told Andrew Marchand of the New York Post.
We heard just a few days ago that ESPN was chasing Brees, and apparently NBC had a more appealing offer. Brees will be “groomed as the potential replacement for Cris Collinsworth” on ‘Sunday Night Football’ broadcasts, sources told Marchand. Of course, this deal won’t take effect until after Brees decides to hang up his cleats. He’s back in New Orleans for at least one more season. Saints coach Sean Payton recently let slip that Brees was “coming back for his final season,” although it’s possible he misspoke.
It’s been reported for a while now that the Saints view Taysom Hill as Brees’ successor, and that they’re anxious to increase his role on offense. All the moves that they’ve made this offseason indicate they’re going all-in on one last Super Bowl run with Brees in 2020, like signing aging vets Malcolm Jenkins and Emmanuel Sanders.
It looks like the ‘Sunday Night Football’ broadcast is getting a total makeover, as Marchand has already reported that Mike Tirico is going to take over for Al Michaels as the play-by-play caller after the 2022 Super Bowl. Brees isn’t going to take the reins on SNF immediately either. Brees “is expected to start as a game analyst on Notre Dame football and as a studio analyst for ‘Football Night in America,’” before eventually taking over for Collinsworth, Marchand writes.
Marchand also notes that ESPN’s offer was thought to be in the $6MM annually range, and that NBC’s offer was “competitive with it” financially but that they “sold him on it being the best place to succeed.” Obviously, Brees wants to avoid an experience like Jason Witten had at ESPN on ‘Monday Night Football,’ and it sounds like the chance to get eased in appealed to him.
I would have rather had Al Michaels and Drew Brees, but Mike Tirico and Drew Brees is fine too.
The best news is that Cris Collinsworth will he gone soon.
Tirico and Brees would be awesome!
You mean will be
Amen. Collinsworth is the woat
Witten, Dennis Miller, Joe buck, Matt millen, and tony kornheiser all say hello…..all of them are worse than CC.
Nah, I think he’s got them all beat. He’s the most annoying of them, though there is stiff competition in that group.
We have no words in the English language to describe how bas Collingsworth is and always has been.
Why does Collinsworth get so much hate? He’s one of the most well respected announcers among NFL players and networks.
Because he becomes way too much of a “ Homer” at times. I think time in the booth does that to these guys. Chucky was down right horrible at the end of his career in doing this.
I agree. I think Collinsworth is pretty good actually.
So do I
I enjoy Colinsworth’s work as well. He’s actually one of my favorite announcers.
To me, he’s NBC’s version of Booger. He just says blatantly obvious things and doesn’t really provide anything useful. I don’t exactly hate him, but he doesn’t contribute anything.
Michael, correct you are. Put collingsworth and Al Michaels to bed. It’s past their time.
Interesting
Taysom Hill is Drew Brees’s groomed successor like Bubby Brister was John Elway’s. 30+ yo career backups are only being groomed to be a stopgap.
Unless Payton is really that much of an egomaniac that he thinks he can transform Hill into a legitimate NFL passer.
Or he could be right, but I’m leaning towards egomaniac.
I hope this was sarcasm as Brister was 35 when Elway retired and he started a total of 4 games over 3 seasons
If I had to guess…
Tirico and Brees will eventually team up on SNF; Tirico starts that gig in 2022; NBC wants to work Brees into the gig… which to me says 2021 will be the first for Brees off the field and in the studio. Payton’s slip may have had a lot of validity.
The quicker Collinsworth is gone is just fine with me.
What’s the $$$$?
ESPN has become such a laughing stock no one credible wants to work for them unless mickey mouse pays them big.
ESPN is garbage. It only was a thing because sports center was the only place to see national highlights, and now with the internet providing highlights and espn is nothing but gas bags with ‘hot takes’ there’s just no point to it. Except to watch like Big East basketball on a Saturday morning
ESPN is awesome if you are a East Coast Fan. The rest of the country the could care less. Haven’t watched them or a East Coast Center in 4 plus years.
The 30 for 30 documentaries can be great.
Would love to see Peyton Manning Drew Brees duo for Sunday night football.
Get rid of booger McFarland and get gronk in the booth for Monday night football. Add Darnell Dockett to the Monday night crew.
I’d love to never have to see a Manning on TV again
I met my wife at a Papa Johns. Yeah. I hate Peyton Manning and Papa Johns now.
Gronk already has plans on Monday nights, so he’s not an option.
1st game called, Tirico to Brees, does it bother you that your only Super Bowl has an asterisk next to it; and your coach took a yearlong unplanned vacation after the season?
so does this kick in in 2022 or simply whenever Brees feels like retiring from playing?
Tirico sucks. I wish Michaels would never retire. No one like Collinsworth except network executives it seems. McFarland is terrible as well and so was Witten… give Jay Cutler a try, Peyton Manning I think would be good. looking forward to Brees in the booth. I saw Gronk listed in the comments, I want to see Gronk as a sideline reporter. I think he’s hilarious bc he’s so damn stupid. A lot of good options, just need to take the leap and get some of these bums out of the booth… looking at you Ronde Barber.
I would only listen to a QB broadcaster if I wanted to experience an ear infection.Thank goodness someone invented the “mute” button.
There are a lot of other reasons the broadcast teams are bad on SNF/MNF. Bad matchups, particularly from week 4 or 5 onward. Football saturation, current teams are safe from a PR perspective.
ESPN needs to add Pat Mcafee or Joe Thomas to MNF
Can’t stand collinsworth, glad they’re getting ready to replace him
I’ve hated Collinsworth, since he replaced Nick Bonicotti on HBOs Inside the NFl 40 years ago.
Al Michael’s is Awesome.
Why does everyone hate Collinsworth? I love him commentating football. He’s hilarious