Former New Orleans Saints and Los Angeles Chargers legendary quarterback Drew Brees finally took his place in Canton on Thursday night with a first-ballot induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The moment also struck a personal chord with one familiar face. Former Saints and current Denver Broncos HC Sean Payton took to social media to pay tribute to the quarterback who helped define an era.

Payton starts his emotional message to Brees with a striking line, referring to Brees’ first season in New Orleans after the terrible events of Hurricane Katrina. The disastrous storm took the lives of around 1,400 New Orleanians, marking one of the deadliest natural disasters in U.S. history.

Drew Brees and Sean Payton’s success

Brees made an immediate impact in New Orleans on arrival. The 6-foot quarterback led the black and gold to their first NFC Championship game during his first season, only to fall to the Chicago Bears.

Payton coached Brees from the time he entered New Orleans until he retired in 2021. The dynamic duo led the Saints offense to a top-10 ranking in 13 of their 16 seasons together. They ranked top-2 in nine of those seasons.

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Despite a loss in the NFC Championship in their first season together, Brees and Payton wouldn’t have to wait long for another shot at the Super Bowl. In 2009, the Saints defeated the Peyton Manning led Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl XLIV.

The Super Bowl is obviously the end goal for each NFL team, but it meant more for New Orleans than anyone else that year. The Saints’ surge to dominance became a light for the people of New Orleans, with Payton and Brees being the focal point.

After their big win, the Saints would never make it back, but not at the fault of Brees. The former second-round pick was a 13-time Pro Bowler, 2-time Offensive Player of the Year, First-Team All-Pro, and a 4-time MVP finalist.

Their last seasons together

During the latter parts of his career, Brees and the Saints remained contenders under Payton. New Orleans had a chance at the Super Bowl in 2017, but fell in the divisional round. The Saints were in a good position to win that game until the Minneapolis Miracle happened.

The Saints returned a year later, making it all the way to the NFC Championship game. They were once again in position to take a shot at the Super Bowl, until the infamous “no call.” This was believed to be the best Saints’ team since 2009, but a controversial officiating decision stopped them in their tracks.

Throughout 2019-2020, the Saints continued to compete, but they could never return to the big game. They would lose another heartbreaker at home against the Minnesota Vikings in the Wild Card in 2019, after tight end Kyle Rudolph caught the game-winning touchdown in overtime.

The Saints continued to dominate, going 12-4 in the regular season and winning the NFC South. They breeze by the Bears in the Wild Card round before facing the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at home. The Buccaneers were led by legendary quarterback Tom Brady.

Brees’ final NFL game would fittingly come in a legendary showdown between him and Brady at home. In a close game, the Tampa Bay defense would prove to be too dominant, and Brees would exit his final game in the Superdome with a loss.

Brees’ career overview

Despite never winning an MVP award, Brees is still seen as one of the top-10 best quarterbacks of all time, with some arguing he was even better.

Brees has the second most passing yards (80,358) and passing touchdowns (571) in NFL history. He also holds the record for most 5,000-yard passing seasons (5) and highest career completion percentage.

Brees and Payton were able to do some incredible things together. From the high’s of a Super Bowl win to the lows of demoralizing playoff losses, they did it all as a team. So it is no surprise that Payton ended his message saying, “It was an honor to have coached you.”