Hall of Fame NFL Quarterback Part of Major Group Looking to Purchase Padres: Report

Hall of Fame NFL quarterback Drew Brees has reportedly partnered with Vuori founder Joe Kudla to submit a bid to purchase the San Diego Padres, according to Dennis Lin and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.

Five groups have submitted bids to purchase the Padres, per multiple reports, with one of them coming from the group led by Brees and Kudla.

More news: Merrill Kelly Rejected Padres’ 3-Year Offer in Free Agency for Unbelievable Reason

Brees, who was recently elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a first-ballot member of the Class of 2026, was drafted by the then-San Diego Chargers in the second round of the 2006 NFL Draft. Brees spent five years with the Chargers before joining the New Orleans Saints in free agency. He'd spend the next 15 years in New Orleans, where he'd go on to win a Super Bowl, make 12 Pro Bowls and establish himself as one of the game's greatest signal-callers.

Now, Brees is looking to potentially make a return to San Diego sports, this time as a part owner of the Padres. Kudla is a University of San Diego alum who, according to his LinkedIn, is based in San Diego.

When will the Padres sale take place?

According to Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune, the sale of the Padres could come around the time of next month's Opening Day.

"The team will likely change hands within the first month or so of the season, and it is conceivable a sale could be completed by the end of March, according to people familiar with the process," Acee wrote.

Padres Chairman John Seidler provided an update on the status of the sale last week, revealing there was tons of interest.

“We’ve had tremendous interest,” Seidler said. “Some parties have been reported in the press. Others have not. … (Padres president of baseball operations A.J. Preller) likes to say every offseason is different and plays out in its own timing. A sales process also plays out in its own timing. And in the next few months, the process will come to a logical conclusion.”

It seems as if that process could come to a conclusion as soon as next month, as the first round of bids has been submitted with five groups showing interest.

Seidler also revealed what he is looking for in a potential buyer.

"We would like to see somebody with ties to San Diego, a deep love of San Diego and a deep love of baseball so they can continue doing the work that we do in the community and providing the product on the field that the fans enjoy," he said.

More news: Padres Pitcher Removed From World Baseball Classic Roster Due to Injury

Other reported interested buyers are Golden State Warriors owner Joe Lacob and two owners of English Premier League clubs, Dan Friedkin and José E. Feliciano.

For more Padres news, head over to Padres on SI and follow us on X at PadresOnSI.