Sean Payton Challenges Nick Saban’s Account of Drew Brees’ 2006 Free Agency

NEW ORLEANS, La. — Former New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton has reignited a long-standing NFL debate, challenging Nick Saban‘s version of events surrounding Drew Brees‘ free agency in 2006. The disagreement stems from Saban’s recent comments about Brees’ failed physical with the Miami Dolphins, which ultimately led the quarterback to sign with the Saints.

In 2006, Brees was recovering from a severe shoulder injury suffered during his final season with the San Diego Chargers. Both the Dolphins, coached by Saban, and the Saints, led by Payton, pursued the quarterback. Saban claimed that Miami’s medical staff failed Brees on his physical, forcing the team to back out of the deal. “You can’t call up the owner and say, ‘Hey, we’re going to sign this guy and give him all this money… and he might not be able to play,'” Saban said in a recent interview. “So, I didn’t want to get in that briar patch with the owner, so I said ‘OK.'”

Brees, who went on to become the Saints’ all-time greatest player and led the team to its only Super Bowl victory in 2010, signed with New Orleans shortly after. Saban admitted he regretted the decision, saying, “I actually regretted it because that year, Drew Brees plays lights out for New Orleans.”

Payton, now the head coach of the Denver Broncos, responded cryptically to Saban’s account on social media, posting, “A little bit missing in this piece…” The comment has sparked speculation about what Payton believes Saban omitted from his retelling of the story.

Brees’ decision to join the Saints was influenced by a personal tour of New Orleans led by Payton, who showcased the city’s recovery efforts after Hurricane Katrina. “The trips were very different in the feelings that I got from the people,” Brees said in a previous interview. “New Orleans was like, ‘We want you. You are our guy.'”

Meanwhile, the Dolphins traded for Minnesota Vikings quarterback Daunte Culpepper, who struggled with injuries and played only four games for Miami. Saban left the NFL after the 2006 season to become the head coach at the University of Alabama, where he built a college football dynasty.

The failed physical and subsequent signing of Brees by the Saints remain one of the most pivotal moments in NFL history, shaping the careers of both Payton and Saban, as well as the fortunes of their respective teams.