Drew Brees asks Sean Payton to present at Hall of Fame induction

Former New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees invited his longtime former coach Sean Payton to serve as his presenter for the Pro Football Hall of Fame ceremony in Canton, Ohio, on Aug. 8. In a video call, Brees asked Payton, now head coach of the Denver Broncos, to join him on the Hall of Fame stage. Payton said the request caught him off guard and tearfully accepted.

Brees and Payton spent 15 seasons together in New Orleans, winning Super Bowl XLIV and establishing the Saints as a perennial contender. Brees retired after the 2020 season with 80,358 passing yards and 571 touchdowns, and was elected to the Hall of Fame on the first ballot. He will be inducted alongside Larry Fitzgerald, Luke Kuechly, Roger Craig and Adam Vinatieri.