The Miami Dolphins passed on Drew Brees back in 2006, and the quarterback offered some more information on what transpired in one of the biggest "what ifs" in NFL history.
Back in 2006, the Miami Dolphins were in a position to land Drew Brees. Unfortunately, a torn labrum led the organization to worry that Brees would not be able to play at a high level.
Brees would then sign with the New Orleans Saints and have a wonderful career that includes a Super Bowl win, 13 Pro Bowls, four All-Pro nods, and much more.
The choice not to sign Brees and instead trade for Minnesota Vikings quarterback Dante Culpepper might be one of the Dolphins' biggest mistakes, if not the biggest.
Brees has now revealed some new information regarding what went down and how Miami put him through the wringer in terms of medical tests to see if his shoulder would be a major issue down the line.
Brees joined the "Dan Patrick Show," where host Dan Patricked asked all about what went on with the Dolphins 20 years ago. Patrick made it a point to bring up that Culpepper had a damaged knee, yet the team went with him over Brees.
"I remember everything about that trip to Miami. On paper, I'm coming off a major shoulder injury, not sure if I'm ever gonna play football again, but hopeful. 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. Nick Saban is the head coach ...," Brees said.
Brees went into Saban, the defense with Jason Taylor and Zach Thomas, the skill players, and everything that would have excited most quarterbacks. Unfortunately, he was faced with a ton of invasive tests on his shoulder, and it was ultimately decided by doctors that he had a "25 percent" chance of playing again.
"Also, on that trip. They put me through this rigorous health inspection. Basically, six hours of testing, contrast MRI tube, where I'm literally in the MRI tube for two hours. They're trying to assess just the damage to my shoulder and the chances of me being able to come back and be the same. They were sticking these big needles in my arm to test my nerve endings. It was nuts. At the end of the day, Nick Saban looked me in the eye and said, 'Our doctors think you have a 25 percent chance of ever coming back and playing again.'"
Brees then said that Saban had to follow what doctors told him, and the Dolphins organization did not give off the feeling that they had a lot of faith that he could play again.
This led to Brees signing with the Saints and Saban leaving the Dolphins to be the head coach of Alabama.
The ripple effect of Brees never landing in Miami is massive, but this remains one of the biggest blunders for the Dolphins. Instead of landing a world-class Hall of Fame quarterback, they went through Culpepper and a multitude of others.