Throughout the spring, it was reported that former Saints quarterback Drew Brees would not return to NBC for a second year as a studio analyst. NBC Sports chairman Pete Bevacqua made that official, telling the Associated Press that he will no longer be a part of the network’s NFL and Notre Dame football coverage.
“The unbelievable busyness of an NFL career and then really not taking a break at all and launching right in with us with both Notre Dame football and the NFL, it was certainly an around-the-clock assignment,” Bevacqua said. “This was definitely a lifestyle choice for him, which is totally understandable.”
Brees signed a multi-year deal with the network after retiring from the NFL following the 2020 season with the Saints. He served as an analyst for Notre Dame games, and in the studio for Football Night in America, NBC’s lead-in for Sunday Night Football. He also called a playoff game between the Raiders and Bengals alongside Mike Tirico, to very mixed reviews.
