Drew Brees stands as the undisputed star of Sean Payton’s coaching career, and their legacy together in New Orleans is one of the most memorable in the NFL’s history. Under Payton’s guidance, the quarterback led his team to nine playoffs and a Super Bowl win. So, when it was time for Brees to be inducted into the Saints Hall of Fame, his former mentor wasn’t about to miss the celebration!
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In a surprise move that no one except Saints owner Gayle Benson was aware of, Payton crashed the ceremony to a standing ovation. A stunned and emotional Brees welcomed his former head coach with embraces and smiles, as per Jeff Duncan.
Payton apparently had to cut short his meetings for the day to make this surprise visit. The now-Broncos head coach then explained the situation in a few words: “How could we NOT come!”
Sean Payton said he & his staff were able to break after meetings today at their nearby hotel to come by & surprise Drew Brees at his Saints Hall of Fame induction ceremony. “How could we NOT come,” he said. Saints owner Gayle Benson was the only one that knew about the ambush.
— Jeff Duncan (@JeffDuncan_) October 17, 2024
Ironically, the Saints will face the Payton-led Broncos in Thursday’s Week 7 matchup, where Brees will be honored at halftime. Therefore, Payton had to get back to work and made a blunt exit to prepare for his upcoming game. And while doing so, the head coach had a crisp message:
“Thank you. Now, enough of the pleasantries. See you in a few hours.”
Payton’s cameo at the HOF ceremony was a whirlwind of joy and emotions for the Saints dynasty. However, in light of the upcoming matchup, there is a buzz around the former coach’s return to the Superdome, with Brees stepping up to clear the air.
Drew Brees defends Sean Payton
New Orleans fans still have mixed feelings for the coach following his departure from the franchise after 15 years. As Payton walks into the Caesar Stadium once again, Brees has a clear message about how the reunion should go about.
“It should be, the minute that man walks in the Dome, everybody celebrates him,” Brees said on WWL Radio. “Hey Sean, we love you, thanks for everything you’ve done for this organization, blah, blah, blah, and then the minute that the game starts, man, we’re trying to kick your ass. That’s the way it should be.”
In these anecdotes, Payton and Brees’ bond shines through. Earlier this week, the head coach expressed his best wishes for his former mentee and noted that this was just the beginning of his upcoming honors.
“He’s going into their Hall of Fame, and then they also have a Ring of Honor. I don’t know what year it is now [for Pro HOF], but this will be the beginning of a number of [honors for Brees].”
While the HC went out of his way to express his support for the QB’s achievement and appreciated Brees for choosing the particular matchup to enable the reunion, Payton’s focus remains on Denver’s matchup.
“He wanted it to be this game, and that means something, but the focus for us still and our team.”
Alongside Payton, fellow ex-Saints assistants Joe Lombardi, Zach Strief, and Pete Carmichael, who are now with the Broncos, also attended the ceremony. No matter which way the tide turns in the Saints vs Denver game, Drew Brees’ HOF ceremony will definitely leave a lasting impression.
