It’s tough to think of anyone with a closer relationship to outgoing New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton than his longtime quarterback Drew Brees. The pair arrived together in 2006 and assembled strong resumes for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and they both ended up stepping away from the team within a year of each other.
Brees responded to news of Payton’s retirement on his official Instagram account, writing an emotional message reflecting on their time together in New Orleans and how Payton helped him play his best football. But maybe the most telling line came at the end, when Brees thanked Payton for taking a chance on him after a couple of other teams gave up following a career-threatening injury.
“Spent every day of my Saints career trying to prove him right,” Brees finished. With so many awards and accolades and wins over his rivals to his credit, it’s fair to say Brees made good on that ambition. Now he and Payton can catch up on the golf course.
