Former New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton will serve as the presenter for Drew Brees at his Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrinement on Aug. 8 in Canton, Ohio.

Payton, who teamed with Brees for 15 seasons in New Orleans, was hand-picked by the former star quarterback to serve in the distinguished role. Payton said he was overcome by emotion when Brees asked him to perform the honors and “put me in the Hall of Fame” during a FaceTime call in late April.

“I hadn’t thought about it, and he caught me right in the temple,” said Payton, while choking back tears during a phone call Wednesday from his office in Denver. “I got just as emotional then as I am with you now. I’m honored.”

As the presenter, Payton will attend the formal enshrinees’ gold jacket dinner on the eve of the ceremony, where he will physically place the iconic Hall of Fame gold jacket onto Brees for the first time.

At the enshrinement ceremony, Payton’s pre-recorded video tribute will be played on the stadium big screens and national broadcast before Brees comes to the stage. He will then join Brees at center stage for the unveiling of the bronze bust, which will be displayed for posterity in the Hall of Fame. Brees then will take the spotlight to deliver his acceptance speech.

Payton filmed the video presentation with an NFL Films crew in Denver last month. He said he was so honored by Brees’ gesture that he recorded the tribute content in two separate multi-hour sittings to ensure they were what appropriate for the special occasion.

“They had to match his standard of greatness as a player,” Payton said.

Payton staked his career to Brees when he and the Saints signed him as a free agent in 2006. Brees was only a few months removed from major shoulder surgery and was considered such a risky prospect only a handful of teams pursued him in free agency.

Brees and Payton joined forces to lead the Saints to their most successful run in franchise history. During their tenure together from 2006-2020, the Saints won seven NFC South Division titles and the club’s only Super Bowl. Along the way, they set several NFL records for offensive prolificacy and changed the image and perception of the Saints franchise.

“You think about all the wins and all the long hours and all the bus rides,” Payton said. “This is someone you spent more time with than your wife and children. I told Drew these (head coach-quarterback partnerships) usually don’t end this way, with both of us leaving on our own terms. It’s special.”

Brees will become the fifth Saints Hall of Famer, joining Rickey Jackson, Willie Roaf, Morten Andersen and Sam Mills. He is the first player in franchise history to earn induction on his initial ballot.

This is the latest honor for Brees. He was inducted into the Saints and Louisiana Sports Halls of Fame in 2024 and 2025.A large contingent of Brees’ former Saints teammates, coaches and support staff — including owner Gayle Benson and general manager Mickey Loomis — are expected to attend the weekend festivities in Canton.

Among the former teammates making the trip to Canton will be right tackle Jon Stinchcomb, who started alongside Brees for five seasons from 2006 to 2010. He said Brees’ selection of Payton “just makes sense.”

“You talk about what made Drew special, part of it is that relationship that he had with Sean,” Stinchcomb said. “They worked so well together and positively created some magic together.”

Payton said he and a group of former Saints coaches now on the Broncos staff, including Zach Strief and Joe Vitt, will take a break from training camp to fly to Canton for the weekend of events. Payton’s duties as presenter will force him to miss Broncos practices on Aug. 7-8 to attend the event in support of Brees.

Asked if that would be a first in his 19-year NFL head coaching career, Payton quipped: “The last time I missed two practices was when the league told me I had to miss practice (in 2012, when he was suspended by the NFL for his role in the Bounty-gate scandal.)”