Drew Brees dismisses idea he'll return to Saints with Jameis Winston injured

It didn't take long for inquiring minds to wonder if Drew Brees will come out of retirement now that the New Orleans Saints have a vacancy at the quarterback position.

With Jameis Winston out with a season-ending knee injury, attention quickly turned to Brees, who played 15 seasons for New Orleans and led them to a Super Bowl victory in 2010. 

But when the quarterback-turned-analyst was asked about a potential return during NBC's Sunday Night Football broadcast, he shut the notion down.

"I'll be there Saturday to call the Notre Dame-Navy game, and I'll be here Sunday," Brees said with regard to his broadcasting duties, via Sports Illustrated. 

It's no surprise Brees came up in conversation after Winston went down. The 42-year-old future Hall of Famer holds the record for most completed passes in league history and only hung up his cleats at the end of last season. 

Instead, it looks like Sean Payton will be handing the reigns to backup QB Trevor Siemian, who completed 16-of-29 passes for 159 yards with one touchdown in relief of Winston on Sunday in a huge 36-27 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

"I think he’s going to do well,” Brees said of Siemian, via Nola.com. "That's exactly why [Payton] brought him in last year when I got hurt. He's a cerebral guy who can pick up the system quickly. He can execute it. The bottom line is he has two really good running backs and a great defense. He'll play within the system and I think Sean Payton has a lot of confidence in him."

The Saints host the Atlanta Falcons in Week 9.