Updated Jan. 17, 2026, 9:31 a.m. CT
Four games make up the NFL Divisional Playoffs this weekend. It will also be the fifth consecutive year that the New Orleans Saints are not in the NFL playoffs. On the AFC side, the Denver Broncos host the Buffalo Bills on Saturday and the New England Patriots will host the Houston Texans on Sunday. Saturday will also see the Seattle Seahawks hosting the San Francisco 49ers, with the Chicago Bears hosting the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday.
Saints fans may not be able to cheer for their own team through the playoffs, but some could root for some of the franchise’s former players or coaches. Earlier, we looked at the former Saints that are on NFC teams in the division round. Now, let’s look through the list of former Saints players and coaches that are on AFC teams.
Buffalo Bills
Coaches
Expert NFL picks: Exclusive betting insights only at USA TODAY.OC Joe BradyQB coach Ronald CurryOL coach Aaron KromerSenior defensive assistant Ryan Nielsen
Joe Brady’s first NFL job was as an offensive assistant on Sean Payton’s staff in New Orleans. He’d then go on to be the passing game coordinator for a historic run to the national championship by LSU in 2019. Since 2022, he’s been with the Bills to oversee the success of Josh Allen. Curry was a respected offensive assistant in New Orleans for two head coaches and is in his second year with Buffalo. Kromer has a Super Bowl ring while an assistant with the Saints, serving with the team for five seasons and was even an interim head coach for six games in 2012. One of the many mistakes Dennis Allen made as head coach in New Orleans was not retaining Ryan Nielsen as defensive line coach. In his first year with the Bills, Nielsen is a respected defensive mind throughout the league.
Houston Texans
Rankins was the 12th overall choice in the first round of the 2016 draft by New Orleans. He had five strong years with the Saints before moving on in free agency. The Texans are his fourth team in five years. He had 3 sacks and 5 tackles for loss while also returning a fumble for a score this season. Rankins also returned another fumble for a touchdown against the Steelers last week to break open the game in Houston’s wild-card victory.
New England Patriots
Marrone was the first offensive coordinator for Sean Payton in New Orleans, serving in that role for three years. He returned to the Saints in 2022 for two years as offensive line coach. His first stint with the team was highly successful, but his second was an unmitigated disaster.
Denver Broncos
Coaches
Head coach Sean PaytonOffensive coordinator Joe LombardiRun game coordinator/assistant head coach Zach StriefSenior offensive assistant Pete CarmichaelSenior defensive assistant Joe VittDefensive quality control coach Todd DavisSpecial teams coordinator/assistant head coach Darren RizziSpecial teams assistant Marwan MaaloufSpecial teams quality control coach Zach LineOffensive quality control coach Logan KilgoreStrength and conditioning coach Dan Dalrymple
Humphrey spent three years with the Saints and Sean Payton after joining them as an undrafted rookie in 2019. In his second stint with Payton in Denver, he had 9 receptions for 101 yards and a score this season. Trautman serves the same role in Denver as he did with Payton in New Orleans, a blocking tight end who is very little threat in the passing game. Roach has been a vital part of the Broncos rotation for the last two years just as he was for his first four seasons in New Orleans. In 2025, he recorded a career-high 4 sacks. Lutz is arguably the best kicker in Saints franchise history. He’s carried over that clutch performance for his three years in Denver and has converted nearly 88% of his field goal attempts in 2025.
No matter what else happens, Sean Payton and Drew Brees deserve a special spot in New Orleans Saints franchise history. Payton took the Saints to spots they’d never been, which of course included a Super Bowl XLIV title. He’s in his fourth year of resurrecting a proud Denver franchise, leading them to a second straight postseason and the top spot in the AFC.
When Payton arrived to the Broncos, many of his former players and coaches followed him. Joe Lombardi and Pete Carmichael are a few of his trusted offensive assistants, as is Zach Strief, a former Saints tackle and one of Payton’s first draft picks in New Orleans. Todd Davis and Zach Line are two more of Payton’s former players now on his staff. Joe Vitt has been a trusted Payton confidant from the start.