
USA Today via Reuters
Dec 25, 2020; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees (9) and quarterback Taysom Hill (7) sit together on the bench in the second half against the Minnesota Vikings at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports | Courtesy: Reuters

USA Today via Reuters
Dec 25, 2020; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees (9) and quarterback Taysom Hill (7) sit together on the bench in the second half against the Minnesota Vikings at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports | Courtesy: Reuters
Former 20-season quarterback Drew Brees has been in the news lately. The forty-three-year-old retired from the game in 2020 and has since been an analyst of the game. Drew Brees played the majority of his career for the Saints. He has been a standout player for them. However, recent reports suggest that the former quarterback had a scare with nature.
It was reported that lightning struck Brees during his shoot for the PointsBet sports book. His shoot was taking place at the Catatumbo river, a frequent site for lightning strikes.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Brees is the brand ambassador for the betting company. He had earlier taken to Twitter to tweet his excitement for the shoot.
Drew Brees strikes the NFL community with shocking news
In reporting the unfortunate situation, a spokesperson for the company said “We are aware of the media coverage regarding PointsBet brand ambassador Drew Brees. We are in communication with Brees’ team and will continue to monitor events throughout the coming hours. At this stage, we will not be making any further comment.”
Drew Brees, having been a fan favorite for so many years, pulled a lot of attention on social media for this incident.

via Getty
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – DECEMBER 20: Drew Brees #9 of the New Orleans Saints stretches before the game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Mercedes-Benz Superdome on December 20, 2020 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
As reactions and updates kept pouring in, Twitter kept getting more speculative. Different people had different theories and beliefs about the situation.
Former Charger got charged
A reporter who had connections with the former quarterback was quick to report the situation.
Update:https://t.co/uD9RgOil7D
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) December 2, 2022
This user was worried as they tried to understand the situation
It's unclear if Brees was struck or lightning struck the set area.
— Paul Pabst (@PaulPabst) December 2, 2022
This user guessed there was something fishy about the situation as they got technical with the series of events.
Personally, as someone who knows lightning…this looks and sounds fake.
Lightning that close to the cameras would have completely saturated the audio and video and all you would have heard is a loud boom and the video would have been entirely blown out. https://t.co/JuOtkteNnF
— Chris Vagasky (@COweatherman) December 2, 2022
This fan was also quick to call out the reporter for this. They think he was a part of the whole campaign.
Dov, at best you are a bad reporter. At worst, you are a shill and being paid to promote this as if it was real news. https://t.co/XkyK1sK0LZ
— Kevin Cash Burner (@KevinCashBurne1) December 2, 2022
Eventually, the company took to its handle to announce that this was nothing but just a marketing campaign. They used the whole situation to get people talking about a new feature they were planning to roll out. Turns out their plan was a hit as it got a vast majority of the NFL world talking about it.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Time to let you in on a little fun we've had with @drewbrees guys. He's alive and well and "buzzing" for a weekend of free bets. Keep your eyes on our channels all weekend for bet drops for US vs. Netherlands, College Football and NFL. pic.twitter.com/vhnLm5S0Cw
— PointsBet Sportsbook (@PointsBetUSA) December 2, 2022
The betting company seems to have been on point with its campaign. With their initial update on his health, they just drew in more audience. Definitely a marketing mastermind behind this idea.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Drew Brees would have also thoroughly enjoyed the attention and buzz he created around his name. Moreover, he would have been glad to see so many concerned fans. It probably was the most he has been in the news for since retiring from the Saints.
Watch this story: NFL legend Drew Brees sends fans crazy after claiming he’s open to return to playing football
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT