When the NFL’s 2026 Hall of Fame candidates were officially revealed, the most obvious first-ballot Hall of Famer on the list was Drew Brees. During his time in the NFL, Brees was one of the best quarterbacks, and his accomplishments are legendary.
That first-ballot expectation put on Brees ended up being correct, and the former New Orleans Saints QB was officially inducted into the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.
On August 8, the Hall of Fame will host the induction ceremony, and as a surprise, Brees requested his former coach to be his presenter.
Sean Payton Gets a Surprise of a Lifetime from Drew Brees
During Brees’ time in New Orleans, he was the embodiment of greatness, and there was one person who stayed by his side the entire time.
In 2006, when the Saints took a shot on Brees after many around the NFL were worried about his shoulder injury, they hired a first-time HC named Sean Payton. As many of us now know, this was a franchise-changing offseason for the Saints, and it led to many winning seasons, including one Super Bowl.
Payton has now had success with the Denver Broncos, proving that he is an incredible head coach, but his time with Brees was legendary. So, when Brees needed someone to present him for the Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, there was really only one person who made sense.
While Payton was at dinner, Brees surprised his former HC with a call and let him know that he would be presenting him.
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As you can see in the video below, Payton was completely overcome with emotion. The surprise of the moment and the emotions that accompany an honor like this left Payton unable to hold back tears.
“I can’t believe you just did that” 🥹@DrewBrees asks @SeanPayton to present him at the @ProFootballHOF
🎥: @GregBensel pic.twitter.com/GKJniyiJLj
— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) July 30, 2026
In the video, Payton was seen saying, “I’m honest to god, I can’t believe you just did that, and yeah, absolutely man, listen, we’ve done enough of this, like, all of the sudden, it’s awesome.”
Brees then said, “I can’t wait, I love you,” to which Payton replied, “I love you too, appreciate you.”
It’s going to be very exciting to see what Payton has in store for his speech, presenting Brees at the Hall of Fame Ceremony, given how much history these two have. But the 47-year-old quarterback won’t be the only player inducted on that day.
Four other players will be inducted into the Hall of Fame this year: former Arizona Cardinals WR Larry Fitzgerald Jr. (He was the other first-ballot Hall of Famer from this class), former Carolina Panthers LB Luke Kuechly, former San Francisco 49ers RB Roger Craig, and former New England Patriots/Indianapolis Colts kicker Adam Vinatieri.
