Denver Broncos coach Sean Payton has certainly had a rough go handling his team’s recent loss to the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship game two weeks ago, but Payton put aside those feelings to post a heartfelt tribute to newly-elected quarterback Drew Brees after Brees was elected to the Hall of Fame.
The post was tweeted out and included on several of Payton’s social media accounts, and it acknowledged the inextricable ties between Payton and Brees:
He came when most were leaving...Set a bar so high for all of us....He lead immediately....
He's OUR 1st Ballot HOF QB!
Congratulations Drew Brees. Also, Congratulations to Your wife Brittany, Baylen, Bowen, Callen and Rylen. It was an honor to have coached you.
Brees and Payton were together from 2006-2020, and Brees retired in 2020 after spending most of his career starring for the New Orleans Saints. His final numbers included throwing for over 80,000 yards and 571 touchdowns.
Brees earned 12 Pro Bowl nods and five All-Pro selections during his time with Payton, and he led the NFL in passing yards seven times. A two-time NFL Offensive Player of the Year and a Super Bowl MVP, Brees will now join a Hall of Fame class that includes receiver Larry Fitzgerald, kicker Adam Vinatieri and linebacker Luke Kuechly, along with running back Roger Craig, who was elected as a Seniors finalist.
Payton and the Saints signed Brees to a six year, $60 million contract in 2006 after Brees suffered a severe shoulder injury playing for the then-San Diego Chargers the year before. Brees was considered damaged goods, but Payton and Saints GM Mickey Loomis clearly saw something that the Miami Dolphins didn’t when they passed on signing Brees.
The rest is, as they say, an integral part of football history. Brees and Payton quickly formed a powerful connection that resulted in a powerful offense that featured Brees ability to throw both in the pocket and on the run, and in 2010 the Saints beat quarterback Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts in the Super Bowl, 31-17.
Brees completed 32-of-39 passes for 288 yards and two touchdowns and was named Super Bowl MVP, while Payton is best remembered for the daring onside kick the Saints recovered to open the second half that helped New Orleans take control of the game.
Given the depth of the friendship that Brees and Payton formed, the Broncos coach is considered a strong candidate to be Brees’ presenter when the induction ceremony takes place at the Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio on August 8.