Saints quarterback Drew Brees is on the verge of breaking Johnny Unitas’s NFL record for consecutive games with a touchdown pass, but the man who coached Brees through most of that streak won’t be there to witness it.
Sean Payton, the Saints head coach who was suspended all season because of the team’s bounty program, told the New Orleans Times-Picayune that he will not ask the NFL to grant him permission to be there to see Brees go for the record on Sunday night against the Chargers.
“No, no,” Payton said. “I’ve kind of got a full plate here. A handful of people texted me that. Right now, I’ll be able to watch it, and shoot, just being able to watch it on TV is no different than being there in person. It’s just an honor to be connected to this.”
When the league allowed suspended former Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams to attend Sunday’s Seahawks-Rams game in St. Louis, it raised the question of whether Payton would be allowed to attend games, too. It’s still not clear whether the NFL would allow that, but it appears to be a moot point, because Payton doesn’t want to push it.
And so, if Brees throws a touchdown pass for the 48th straight game on Sunday night, Payton will settle for watching on TV.