Reflections on the Sean Payton Era Saints
On January 25, 2022 the 16 year tenure of Sean Payton as Head Coach of the New Orleans Saints came to a close. By today’s NFL coaching standards, the 16 years that Sean Payton was coaching is a lifetime. Only Bill Belichick, who started his tenure on January 27, 2000, had a longer active streak then Sean Payton did at the time of his retirement. During his time in New Orleans, Payton won a Super Bowl in 2010, was the NFL Coach of the Year in 2006, and his .619 win pct. with the Saints was good for fourth best in the NFL during that time span.
Sean Payton took over a Saints franchise that saw flashes of success but nothing that was ever sustained for more then a few seasons. Prior to Sean Payton arriving in New Orleans the team had only won one playoff game in their history, didn’t have a winning season in their first 20 years of existence, and were commonly given the nickname by fans and the media of the “Aint’s” (often accompanied with bags over their heads).
In short, this was an NFL franchise located in the an area of the country where college football is king and standards are high for quality football. New Orleans had struggled to embrace the team and there were often rumors of relocation to other cities. These rumors intensified in 2005, when Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans and forced many in the community to evacuate and the city to rebuild.
During the 2005 season the Saints were forced to play their “home” opener in Giants Stadium in New York against the New York Giants. The remainder of the home games would be split between the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas and Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. While this predates the Sean Payton era, it is important to note because while the Saints were relocated, the community they were playing for had used to the Superdome as a safe haven for residents in the area. This forged a connection unmatched by other fan bases in the league as the “homefield” for the Saints literally became “home” for so many residents in the area.
On January 16, 2006 the Saints hired Sean Payton and the release of the 2006 regular season schedule would show that all games would be played at the renovated Superdome. Coupled with the hiring of Sean Payton, the Saints also signed future Hall of Fame QB Drew Brees on March 14, 2006. For the first time in franchise history, tickets for the regular season were sold out. The Saints first game at home was played on ESPN’s Monday Night Football against the Atlanta Falcons, a NFC South rival. The Saints would go on to win that game 23–3 and finish the year 10–6 with the first NFC South division title in franchise history. The previous year the team had gone 3–13, a remarkable turnaround considering all the team and community had endured off the field.
In the subsequent years with Brees and Payton the New Orleans Saints would emerge as a perennial contender in the NFC, winning the NFC South in 7 of Sean Payton’s 16 years. During this stretch the Saints saw an unprecedented level of success for the franchise, winning nine playoff games, Super Bowl XLIV, and elevating the Saints to a national brand in the NFL. Even with College Football power LSU a little over an hour down the road, New Orleans would become a Pro Football town, fully embracing the Saints.
The Sean Payton Era wouldn’t be met without controversy though when in 2012 it was determined that the New Orleans Saints implemented a bounty program that would reward players for deliberately attempting to knock opposing players out of the game. A “slush fund” was managed by then defensive coordinator Gregg Williams and it was determined that Payton knew about the program and failed to shut it down. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell would suspend Payton for the entire 2012 season, an unprecedented punishment for a NFL coach. It’s unfortunate that this era of the Saints has to include this black mark on its legacy.
With Drew Brees retiring from the Saints after the 2020 season and now Sean Payton’s retirement, this era of the Saints has been formally closed. The team went 9–8 this season and with cap issues looming will likely look to rebuild. NFL history will remember Sean Payton as the architect of the Saints turnaround from a NFL laughing stock to one of the great brands in the league and an unparalleled connection between a city and its football team.
