Breaking; Just Now Its Has Been Revealed How A Failed Medical Exam Sent Drew Brees To The Saints And Changed NFL History

After suffering a torn labrum during the 2005–06 season with the San Diego Chargers, Brees decided to explore his options rather than accept the team’s offer to stay. This set off a bidding war between the New Orleans Saints and the Miami Dolphins. At the time, Nick Saban, in his second year as the Dolphins’ head coach, was eager to find an upgrade at quarterback after a 9–7 season led by Gus Frerotte. However, the Dolphins’ medical team refused to clear Brees due to concerns about his injured shoulder, which ultimately led him to first-year Saints head coach Sean Payton.

In an appearance on The Pivot podcast with Ryan Clark, Saban reflected on the pivotal moment.

“The issue in Miami was that we never had a quarterback,” Saban said. “We had Drew Brees ready to sign, but the doctors failed him on the physical. Everything was set, but then I got a call saying, ‘We don’t think he can play.'”

Saban revealed that he consulted with Dr. James Andrews, the surgeon who had repaired Brees’s shoulder. Andrews assured him that Brees had a better chance of making a full recovery than the Dolphins’ other target, Daunte Culpepper, who was recovering from knee surgery. Despite this, Saban felt he couldn’t override the decision of the team’s medical staff.

“You can’t just go to the owner and say, ‘We’re going to sign this guy and pay him all this money,’ when the doctors are saying he might not be able to play,” Saban explained. Out of respect, he also agreed not to share Brees’s medical status with other teams. Within days, Brees signed with the Saints, where he would go on to become one of the NFL’s most iconic players and the centerpiece of the franchise’s success.

The Dolphins, meanwhile, traded for Culpepper, who played just four games before injuries derailed his career. By the end of that season, Saban left the NFL to return to college football, where he built a dynasty at Alabama. Meanwhile, Brees thrived in New Orleans, cementing his legacy as one of the all-time greats in the sport.