There have been several stories over the years since the Miami Dolphins made the decision to trade for Daunte Culpepper rather than sign Drew Brees as a free agent. Most of them have not been good.

The overall takeaway has always been simple. The Dolphins’ doctors screwed it up; Brees joined the Saints, Nick Saban inevitably returned to the college ranks, and Miami has been looking for a starting quarterback ever since.

Now, Brees is setting the record straight. On Wednesday, the Hall of Fame quarterback was a guest on the “Dan Patrick Show” when the conversation turned to Miami and the mishandled attempt to sign him.

“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.”

– @drewbrees shares how he ended up in New Orleans. pic.twitter.com/KRe0iWgSgA

— Dan Patrick Show (@dpshow) February 11, 2026Drew Brees admits he wasn’t sure he would be able to play football again when meeting with Miami Dolphins

Dolphins fans know, mostly, about how this all played out. Saban wanted Brees to be his quarterback. Everything was set up to get him under center. After nearly six hours of testing, Miami’s doctors informed Saban that he had a 25 percent chance of throwing a football because of his shoulder injuries.

To this day, it remains one of Miami’s biggest and glaring mistakes, nearly as bad as choosing defensive back Jamar Fletcher over Brees in the 2001 draft. Culpepper lasted one season, Brees will go into the Hall of Fame this year, but did the Dolphins really make a mistake?

“I’m coming off a major shoulder injury, not sure if I am ever going to play football again.”

For the first time that we are aware of, Brees acknowledged that even he wasn’t certain he could have continued playing. He called it “hopeful.” Miami’s doctors ultimately agreed that Brees’ shoulder was much more worrisome than Culpepper’s knee.

Brees went on to say that everything was right with the Dolphins. He had dinner with owner Wayne Huizenga on his yacht, and the two talked about taking trips to Europe to play golf in the offseason with Dan Marino. Everything was perfectly aligned until the doctors came and put the brakes on.

Miami’s decision wasn’t over. Brees said that Saban still wanted him, but after speaking with his agents and the Saints, he wasn’t waiting. The Saints didn’t care about the shoulder; they believed he could lead the team. Sean Payton made it clear that he wanted Brees; Saban waffled on the medicals.

Without a quarterback, Saban ran to Alabama, Cam Cameron and GM Randy Mueller would cut Culpepper after a year, he would return to Miami in 2007 and lead the Raiders over Cameron’s Dolphins.

In some multiverse, Brees is entering the Hall of Fame as a member of the Dolphins, at least that is what we tell ourselves to make the bitter pill a little sweeter. No matter how you view the situation, it was a mistake on the part of the Dolphins, but at least now, we are hearing from Brees himself that he, too, wasn’t sure he would ever play again.

Now all these years later, the Dolphins are still looking to make a quarterback change.