Drew Brees joined Fox Sports' NFL broadcasts in November 2025 after the network parted ways with Mark Sanchez and needed a quick replacement. More than a year later, Brees is thriving during his first full season in the booth.
Brees is the color commentator on Fox's strong No. 3 team for NFL games during the 2026 season, alongside veteran play-by-play man Adam Amin. Ahead of Brees calling Sunday afternoon's huge Vikings-Packers NFC North showdown, The Sporting News got a chance to catch up with the retired Saints and Chargers Hall of Fame quarterback.
Brees is passionate about his current national television job and his enthusiasm makes it easy to tell how well prepared he is for every broadcast.
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"I love our crew, and Adam is a true pro. We've got such great chemistry, and with Christina Pink on the sideline too," Brees said. "I love going to work with them every weekend. We've had a bunch of exciting games, a bunch of games that have gone down to the last play or the last drive.
"Honestly, I love the preparation that goes into a game. There's definitely a formula to it. That's definitely like developing a new muscle. When it comes to broadcasting a game and carrying a conversation for three hours, it can go in a bunch of different directions. Man, the preparation is a lot like playing the game — developing a game plan for how you're going to attack each side of the ball, building the strategy, and then talking to the coaches and the key players."
For Brees, it's like he's back on the field quarterbacking again, to the point that he has worked to put himself in the shoes of the QBs who are actually playing in the games he's broadcasting.
"So many of these games come down to a decision or a play that happens by the quarterback, and so you get to those two-minute situations, the third down, the red zone. You're talking through matchups, situations of what can and can't happen — that gets the juices flowing, that's for sure."
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Although Brees prides himself on preparation for the X's and O's part of the job, he also knows it's important to relate well to the fans, not losing sight of the human element that comes into play for both teams.
"I want to tell positive stories about the players and their journeys, the circumstances they've encountered, the adversity they've overcome," Brees said. "I want to educate the next generation of fans about the game and the evolution of the game, and give them a little glimpse of what it's like to play quarterback."
Brees is balancing his budding broadcasting career with a busy time back home in Southern California, where he is an assistant coach and passing game coordinator for the Santa Fe Christian Eagles, the high school football team on which his sons Baylen (a senior), Bowen (a sophomore) and Callen (a freshman) all play.
Although Brees loves coaching on that level, he can't see himself making a jump like his former Chargers teammate Philip Rivers to head coaching in college football, at least in its current landscape.
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"I love the opportunity I've had to coach my kids. With three boys in high school, this year has been awesome." Brees said. "College football these days is a little bit different. With NIL and the transfer portal, it's pretty hard to be a college coach right now. The tough part is you feel like you invest so much to develop a guy, and then all of a sudden, he leaves. The rules give him the opportunity, which is tough. It becomes a financial decision, not necessarily what's in the kid's best interest from a developmental perspective. That part of college football is tough for me to grasp right now."
Brees also recalled the time he almost played for the greatest college football coach of all time — while in the NFL. When Brees was a free agent in 2006, and Rivers was ready to take over as the Chargers' starting quarterback, his choices came down to the Saints and the Nick Saban-led Dolphins.
With Brees coming off right (throwing) shoulder surgery in January '06 to repair a torn labrum, the Dolphins' medical staff made Brees' decision for him that March, advising the team not to sign him. The Dolphins not landing Brees made Saban want to return to college football, a sport he ruled again from 2007-2023, leading Alabama to six national championships in 17 seasons.
Brees recalled how much he was connected to Saban and the Dolphins before they made that dubious decision.
"Miami was a great option. Nick Saban was such a well-respected coach. I played against him in college when he was at Michigan State, while I was at Purdue. The Dolphins had just had a great year (in 2005). They had won their last six games." Brees said. "The defense was lights-out with Zach Thomas and Jason Taylor, and offensively, it was the same system we ran with the Chargers. I knew a lot of the coaches, including the offensive line coach and the quarterbacks coach. On paper, it was the obvious decision."
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The Dolphins were almost the right place at the right time for Brees, for both his career and his family, but in the end, Brees feels blessed for the divine intervention.
"Very fortuitously, it was God calling for our life to be in New Orleans. Post (Hurricane) Katrina, and with Sean Payton coming there and his belief in me, it felt like it was the opportunity to be a part of something so much bigger than just football.
"Obviously, it all worked out the way it was supposed to, but it's hard not to wonder what could have been with that situation in Miami, because I had a lot of respect for Saban and the coaching staff."
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Brees had a lot of success with Payton as his Saints head coach, including nine playoff appearances in 15 seasons, capped by winning Super Bowl 44 together over Peyton Manning and the Colts. Although Payton's current team, the Broncos, isn't getting the same kind of pretty QB play from Bo Nix that Brees gave the Saints, the bottom line — winning — is still working. Denver leads the AFC West at 6-2 as the team tries to repeat as division champions.
"It's just about this: did you win or did you lose? They're finding ways to win. Kudos to them," Brees said. "It's pretty unbelievable. They've won (an NFL record) 16 one-possession games in a row, which is crazy. Sean Payton is unbelievable at putting his guys in positions to succeed."
As for Brees' former team, the Saints, they are still looking for their first NFC South title since he last started at quarterback for them in 2020, his final NFL season. Despite a rocky start that put some heat on the offensive-minded coach Kellen Moore, the Saints are tied for first place at 3-5 going into Week 10.
The Saints can take control of the division by beating the 3-5 Panthers at home on Sunday. Brees is optimistic about their chances to make the playoffs as the No. 4 seed, regardless of final record.
"It's right there in front of them, regardless of what's happened this season," Brees said. "They've had a lot of injuries, and they've had some inconsistency, but it seems like they're getting healthy at the right time. They've established their identity a bit."
The Saints also have a reason to carry extra confidence into hosting the Panthers before facing them again in Charlotte in Week 14.
"The Saints beat them twice last year, both at home and away," Brees said. "They have Jordan Tyson healthy, and they have good receivers and tight ends. The defense seems like it's coming into its own. For all those reasons, the Saints are trending up."
Brees spoke to Sporting News through a partnership with ARS Pharma. He is promoting awareness of neffy, a life-saving nasal spray that is a pocket-sized, needle-free option that can administer effective epinephrine treatment anywhere.
"What all of us need to recognize, even for those who aren't the ones who suffer from allergies, but those who support in the environments where we have loved ones, friends, family who do, is knowing epinephrine is the only treatment for a severe allergic reaction or life-threatening anaphylaxis."
