Sean Payton wasn’t expecting a call from Drew Brees to serve as an emotional reminder of their 15 seasons together in New Orleans.
Brees contacted his former coach by video call to ask Payton to serve as his presenter when the quarterback is enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Aug. 8 in Canton, Ohio.
Payton, now coach of the Denver Broncos, teared up before accepting.
“Honest to God, I can’t believe you just did that,” Payton told Brees in a video released by the Saints.
Payton said Thursday that he was preparing to play golf with a group of friends when the call arrived. His wife and the others already knew what Brees planned to ask.
“Listen, it caught me off guard,” Payton said. “… It was just a lot being 15 years together.”
Payton added that the bond between a coach and quarterback can sometimes be overlooked, particularly because those partnerships do not always conclude on good terms.
“I was really proud that it ended the way he wanted it to, so I’m excited for him,” Payton said. “As a coach, it’s an honor that someone would ask you to do that.”
Payton and Brees arrived in New Orleans in 2006 and helped transform the Saints into regular contenders. Their tenure included a victory in Super Bowl XLIV, where Brees was named the game’s Most Valuable Player.
Brees retired after the 2020 season with 80,358 passing yards and 571 touchdown passes. He will enter the Hall of Fame alongside Larry Fitzgerald, Luke Kuechly, Roger Craig and Adam Vinatieri.
