For Christmas in 2018, Sean Payton treated Drew Brees to a gift.

In recognition of Brees breaking Peyton Manning’s NFL record in a 43-19 win against Washington earlier this season, Payton gave Brees a black and gold Rolex watch with the X’s & O’s diagram from the record-breaking play of 62 meters. on the back.

The beautiful timepiece was his way of saying thank you for everything Brees had done for him during their career-defining years together in New Orleans.

“I thought, ‘How do you start paying someone back like that?’” Payton said during an interview in August.

Payton and Brees will be together again Thursday night in the Caesars Superdome when Brees is recognized for his induction into the Saints Hall of Fame during a halftime ceremony of the nationally streamed game against Payton and the Denver Broncos.

Brees’ induction ceremony was intentionally scheduled for the night Payton and so many of his former coaches and teammates were supposed to be in attendance. Eleven Broncos coaches worked with Brees during his legendary 16-year tenure in New Orleans. Eight Broncos players were Saints teammates with him, including tight end Adam Trautman, fullback Michael Burton and defensive tackle Malcolm Roach.

With so many current and former players and coaches on both sidelines, it will certainly be an emotional evening for Brees.

“I’m glad I’ll be there so we can see him,” said Broncos offensive line coach Zach Strief, who started at right tackle alongside Brees for six seasons in New Orleans. “There are a lot of personal connections there, and when you see the guys you played with being honored like that, it’s really cool. So to be able to be there while it’s happening, we won’t be there at halftime or anything, but I’m sure I’ll see Drew while we’re there. It is the first of many awards he will receive.”

As longtime offensive assistants on Payton’s staff with the Saints, Pete Carmichael and Joe Lombardi worked with Brees on a daily basis. Both eventually earned promotions to offensive coordinator positions, Carmichael in New Orleans and Lombardi in Detroit, Los Angeles (Chargers) and now Denver.

“We have so much appreciation for him, for what he has done for all of us,” said Lombardi, who was the quarterbacks coach for 10 seasons during the Payton-Brees era. “I have such fond memories of our time there, and this is obviously a well-deserved honor.”

During Brees’ tenure, the Saints won seven NFC South Division titles and the franchise’s only Super Bowl title in 2009. Along the way, he set a slew of team and NFL records and led the NFL in scoring seven times. He is the only player to record more than two seasons with 5,000 or more yards (Brees accomplished the feat five times). He led the NFL in completions and completion percentage six times each, and led the NFL in passing touchdowns four times. His completion percentage of 67.7 remains the highest in NFL history for players with 10 or more years of experience.

“Everything starts with him,” said Carmichael, who is in his first season as the Broncos’ senior offensive assistant. “The further you get from it and look back at his career, the numbers he put up were just amazing. Everything about that time was so special. He is a great person and also a superstar player.

“He raised the level of play for everyone, just the way he approached everything. Not just football, but everything. Just his focus, his determination, his drive to be great. He was just a special, special player.”

In addition to players and coaches from both teams, several of Brees’ former teammates will attend the game, including Super Bowl XLIV champion teammates Roman Harper and Scott Fujita.

“I’m glad I’ll be there the night they do it,” said Roach, who grew up in Baton Rouge and followed the Brees-led Saints. “I got to play with Drew for a year, and that was cool. Great guy. Great player. I don’t know if we’re going to celebrate it (his induction into the Hall of Fame), but I’m glad I can be there that night. He really deserves it.”

In the meantime, the Saints are doing everything they can to make it a special evening. They have asked fans to wear all black attire and will hand out special Drew Brees rally towels to attendees. Meanwhile, the halftime ceremony is expected to feature a New Orleans-style second-line parade led by the Storyville Jazz Band and the Saints drumline.

“When I think of Drew, I think of the endurance, the consistency of production and the year-in-year-out reliability,” Payton said. “Man, it was special. You can’t underestimate the importance of not only his performance and consistency on the pitch, because every day you got the same person from a work preparation point of view and then off the pitch in the same way.

“And he was one of those guys that he bought and managed in so many different ways. He was an extension of our staff, and so much of what we did has evolved over the years with personnel and just the staying power and the consistency of excellence was remarkable, I mean there’s only a handful of players (in NFL history ) that you can point to year after year with the same staying power and consistency.