Payton tears up as Brees picks him for HOF induction
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- Drew Brees chose former New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton as his Hall of Fame presenter, making the request during an emotional video call filmed by a member of the Saints staff on July 30.
- Sean Payton, currently the Denver Broncos' head coach, teared up and said "I can't believe you just did that" before accepting; Brees replied "I can't wait, I love you."
- Brees will be enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame's 2026 class on Aug. 8 alongside Luke Kuechly, Larry Fitzgerald, Roger Craig, and Adam Vinatieri.
- Brees and Payton spent 15 years together with the Saints and won Super Bowl XLIV, with Brees ranking second all-time in NFL history in passing yards, touchdown passes, and completions.
- Payton told reporters Thursday he was caught off guard by the request, reflecting that "quarterback-coach" relationships are "take[n] for granted" and that he's "proud that it ended the way he wanted it to."
- Brees retired after the 2020 season and Payton stepped away from the Saints after 2021 before New Orleans traded his coaching rights to the Broncos in 2023.
Why it matters: For Payton, who left the Saints after 2021 and was traded to Denver in 2023, the Aug. 8 enshrinement offers a rare public reunion with the quarterback he coached for 15 seasons and one Super Bowl — a closing chapter the source frames as ending "the way he wanted it to."
