Former NFL signal-caller Drew Brees has extremely high expectations for Denver Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson under new head coach Sean Payton.
Not many former NFL players know Payton like Brees does, as the duo spent 15 seasons together with the New Orleans Saints from 2006 to 2020.
According to Werder, Brees said the 59-year-old coach is a “culture-changer” and he “makes everyone in the building feel like they have to prove themselves… in a good way.”
It was reported Tuesday that the Broncos were expected to make a trade with the Saints, paving the way for Payton to sign with Denver.
The 2006 AP Coach of the Year led New Orleans to an unexpected Super Bowl season in just his fourth year with the team in 2009 and the franchise made the playoffs nine teams during Payton’s 16-year tenure.
The Saints never finished with fewer than seven wins under the San Mateo, California native and he wrapped his career with a 152-89 regular season mark and a 9-8 mark in the playoffs.
Following a stellar 10-year run with the Seattle Seahawks that included nine Pro Bowl nods and one Super Bowl title, Wilson was traded to the Broncos last offseason. Wilson’s first season in the “Mile High City” was a disaster, as he finished with a career-worst 60.5% completion percentage and a career-low 16 touchdown passes against 11 interceptions across 15 games.
While injuries and questionable coaching decisions didn’t help the cause (first-year leader Nathaniel Hackett was fired in December), Wilson was certainly not himself. Denver went 4-11 in Wilson’s 15 starts and finished last in the AFC West at 5-12.
