NEW ORLEANS — Sean Payton returns to the Big Easy Thursday night where he coached 15 seasons with the New Orleans Saints, leading them to the playoffs nine times and to win Super Bowl XLIV in the 2009-2010 season.
But the now Denver Broncos head coach said, there's "not enough time in the day" to get emotional about this homecoming — even with Drew Brees, the Saints quarterback from 2006-2020 under Payton, being inducted into the team's Hall of Fame during a halftime ceremony Thursday.
Sean Payton, #Broncos OL coach Zach Strief, and OC Joe Lombardi all attended Brees #Saints Hall of Fame ceremony. They all coached / played with Drew in New Orleans. #BroncosCountry #DENvsNO @DenverChannel https://t.co/zUq8gOMRfh
— Lionel Bienvenu (@lionelbienvenu) October 17, 2024
Payton said he likely won't get to see it, though, joking with reporters this week he'll use the short halftime period to take a bathroom break.
Payton's time in New Orleans was marked with historic moments like his first season with the team in 2006 returning to the Superdome after Hurricane Katrina. But he's not using Thursday night's game as a chance to reflect on his storied past in New Orleans. He's all business, focused on the team he works for now and collecting wins for the Denver Broncos, and so are his players.
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"I think we try to win every one for coach. Every game is equally as important. It's not a Coach Payton versus every- versus the Saints. It's us going to try and win another game and getting to 4-3," Broncos receiver Courtland Sutton said.
The pressure is especially on for rookie quarterback Bo Nix as he's been compared to Drew Brees over the past few months. Plus, Nix will be making his Thursday Night Football debut with just a four-day turnaround after the Broncos game against the Los Angeles Chargers Sunday, Oct. 13.
Broncos vs. Saints TV information
Tune in for an hour-long pregame newscast at 5 p.m. Thursday before the Week 7 matchup airs on Denver7 at 6 p.m. With a 6:15 p.m. kickoff, the ABC primetime lineup of drama series will air on Local3:
- 7 p.m.: 9-1-1
- 8 p.m.: Doctor Odyssey
- 9 p.m.: Grey’s Anatomy
On Denver7, we'll have postgame highlights and news at 9 p.m. or after the final whistle. Denver7 News at 10 p.m. will re-air on Local3 as scheduled at 11 p.m.
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