Sean Payton to present Drew Brees at Pro Football Hall of Fame
Sean Payton has accepted Drew Brees' invitation to present him at the Pro Football Hall of Fame on August 8, 2026. Brees asked Payton via video call, and Payton teared up during the exchange. The two spent 15 years together in New Orleans and won Super Bowl XLIV as a coach-QB partnership.
Sean Payton will present Drew Brees at the Pro Football Hall of Fame on August 8, 2026, and unveil his bronze bust, according to ESPN. Brees asked Payton to be his presenter via video call filmed by Saints staff.
Payton teared up during the call and said, Honest to God, I can't believe you just did that, before accepting. Payton responded, It's awesome, and Brees said, I can't wait, I love you. Payton stated he was caught off-guard by Brees' request.
The quarterback and coach spent 15 years together in New Orleans and won Super Bowl XLIV as a partnership. Brees retired after the 2020 season and is second all-time in NFL history in passing yards, touchdown passes, and completions, per ESPN. Payton stepped away from the Saints after the 2021 season and was traded to the Denver Broncos in 2023, where he currently serves as head coach.
Payton reflected on their separation and reunion in remarks to ESPN: It was just a lot, 15 years together. A lot of times for a number of reasons, those relationships, quarterback-coach, you kind of take for granted. Yet sometimes, oftentimes, they don't end the way you want them to end. I'm proud that it ended the way he wanted it to. He added, As a coach, it's an honor to be asked.
The 2026 Hall of Fame class includes Luke Kuechly, Larry Fitzgerald, Roger Craig, and Adam Vinatieri alongside Brees.
Sean Payton will unveil Drew Brees' bronze bust and formally introduce him into the Hall of Fame after Brees requested Payton via emotional video call.
Payton's emotional acceptance marks a formal healing of the coach-quarterback bond after their separate departures from New Orleans. The moment arrives at the Hall of Fame ceremony on August 8, cementing a partnership that reshaped Saints franchise history.
The score is a fact. The story gets checked.
GoCheckMySports reports events. It never advises bets. Nothing here is betting or gambling advice.