Sean Payton is headed to Canton with a heavy heart and a full one.
The former New Orleans Saints coach will be Drew Brees’ presenter for the Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrinement on Aug. 8, a role Brees personally asked him to take during a FaceTime call in late April. Payton said the request hit him hard.
“I hadn't thought about it, and he caught me right in the temple,” said Payton, while choking back tears during a phone call Wednesday from his office in Denver. "I got just as emotional then as I am with you now. I’m honored.”
For Payton, the moment carries extra weight because of what he and Brees built together in New Orleans. The two worked side by side for 15 seasons, after Payton signed Brees as a free agent in 2006 when the quarterback was still recovering from major shoulder surgery and viewed by only a small number of teams as a gamble worth taking.
That decision changed everything for the Saints. From 2006 through 2020, Payton and Brees guided New Orleans through the most successful stretch in franchise history, winning seven NFC South Division titles and the organization’s only Super Bowl while helping set multiple NFL records for offensive prolificacy. Just as important, they reshaped how the Saints were seen around the league.
“You think about all the wins and the long hours and all the bus rides,” Payton said. “This is someone you spent more time with than your wife and children.
I told Drew these (head coach-quarterback partnerships) usually don’t end this way, with both of us leaving on our own terms. He meant so much to me and my career.”
Payton’s role in the Hall of Fame weekend will be a prominent one. He’ll be at the formal enshrinees’ gold jacket dinner the night before the ceremony, where he will place the Hall of Fame gold jacket on Brees for the first time.
During the ceremony itself, Payton’s pre-recorded tribute will run on the stadium big screens and on the national broadcast before Brees takes the stage. Payton will then join him at center stage for the unveiling of the bronze bust, which will remain in the Hall of Fame, before Brees delivers his acceptance speech.
He filmed the tribute last month with an NFL Films crew, and said he split the work into two separate multi-hour sessions because he wanted it to meet the standard Brees set as a player.
“They had to match his standard of greatness as a player,” Payton said.
A sizable group from the Saints’ past is expected in Canton for the celebration, including former teammates, coaches and support staff. Owner Gayle Benson and general manager Mickey Loomis are also expected to be there.
One of the former players making the trip is right tackle Jon Stinchcomb, who started next to Brees for five seasons from 2006 to 2010. He said Brees choosing Payton “just makes sense.”
“You talk about what made Drew special, part of it is that relationship that he had with Sean,” Stinchcomb said. “They worked so well together and positively created some magic together.”
Payton will have to step away from Broncos training camp for the weekend, with his presenter duties forcing him to miss practices on Aug. 7-8. He said he and several former Saints coaches now on the Broncos staff, including Zach Strief and Joe Vitt, will make the trip to Canton for the event.
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