The Season with Peter Schrager: Sean Payton

didn't record anything on Tuesday was for obvious reasons. It was still in the immediate aftermath of the Damar Hamlin situation Monday night during Monday Night football, and I wanted to start off this podcast by kind of talking about when it's appropriate and how I'm handling turning the page in such a way metaphorically you don't ever turn the page from it, but from going from that conversation topic and when it's inappropriate to talk football, and then saying, hey,

there is games on Sunday. We do love football and we do want to talk about the sport. I actually I leaned on a lot of coaches that I speak with on a regular basis this past weekend, was texting them and UM, I don't think he would mind me saying it. Sean McDermott texted me and said, hey, thanks for all the work that you guys are doing on Good Morning Football. You guys are leading from the front,

and I thought your show today was beautiful. That was Tuesday. Wednesday, Uh, still no real update on tomorrow, Hamlin and we did a sprinkling of football Talk and now Thursday kind of did a half and half where we gave you the latest up to date news and we had reporters on the ground in both Buffalo and at the hospital, and also great reporters from the NFL network offering insights on not only, uh, you know, the Hamlet situation, but also

what the Bills Bengals game situation would be, whether they'd replay it or whether they're not going to replay it, and how they would break that down. All that is is important because I you know, we gotta do a podcast talking football, and we can do the same things, uh simultaneously. We could to vote our energy, g's in our time and our hearts to Damore Hamlin and his family and this incredible fight that he's in right now.

But we could also talk about the games and acknowledge and be self aware that saying, hey, the games might feel like they're secondary, they don't matter, but they also are um part of the NFL. And it's the final week of what's been an amazing season, and uh, we gotta tackle that too. I I thought McDermott and Zach Taylor were incredible on Monday night, and I wanted to use this monologue to kind of give a little I guess the word would be respect and uh shine props

if you will for their grace under fire. Uh. The story goes that, you know, Zach Taylor was down there and Sean McDermott said to him, so like, I've got to go to the hospital. I gotta be with Tamar and Zach Taylor not thinking about what that would mean for playoff potential and not thinking that his team was was rolling, not thinking that okay, yes, so now if your team refuses to take the field, but my team stays, we get a forfeit and that would actually help us

in the stay. Like that stuff wasn't even even in his mind. It wasn't even brought up. And Zach Taylor was like, of course. And then what Taylor said was his captain's burrow and the guys were like, can we go? And speak with the Bills captains, which doesn't happen, and of course sac Taylor grab McDermott was like that the captains want to speak to your captain said, yes, talk and it was decided right then and there that they're

not going to take the field. Um. Zach Taylor on a fourth and one earlier this season called an end around to Trent Taylor and I got stuff at the goal line against the Chiefs, and I remember going on Twitter in the real time and the amount of vitriol

and the amount of just fire this guy. This is the guy who had been to the Super Bowl year earlier, um, and a guy whose players love him and has taken the Bengals from the like the immediate reaction when we watched these games is that these coaches that they can't get a fourth oun call right or if they mismanaged the clock or fire them, fire them, fire them. I don't know. My takeaway from this week was there's so much more to coaching than in game management and you know,

fourth down calls and time out. There's an emotional element to this, there is a leadership element to this, and there is truly a human element to this, and I think that's part about being a coach that maybe doesn't get talked about enough. And that's why some coaches who who do have UM, you know, maybe questionable calls or losing records, get another shot because people in the building know that this guy's a leader of men and women.

And then this guy is different than just UH an almanac or a binder that you go to and say, what do I do on fourth and three? Here's what it's here's what they tell you. I think about the different teams and the tragedies that they've had to face, and how these coaches are turned to UM and they're

asked to lead the Bills this season. I mean, gosh, has any team in the history of the sport had to go through more just negative, negative, negative, adverse situations time after time for time not to go through a timeline of it. And if they do win the Super Bowl, trust me, this is gonna be a hell of a

book that McDermott writes. Uh. But the owner Kimpagoulas fell on some unfortunate health events this summer that leads to a season where Dawson Knox startight end, his brother unexpectedly passes away early, and the loved player, his brother passes away.

Talking about multiple weather events, you're talking about a senseless killing and a supermarket in Buffalo that rock that that market in a way that obviously trickles down to the team talking about a fire on New Year's Eve that did not get a lot of national press, that killed many people in the city. And you're talking about a team that was coming off of a year where they came just short of rich in the a f C Championship Game and lost in historic fashion. You add this

piece to this. You're talking about resiliency, but you're also talking about leadership that these guys all turned to Sean McDermott and say that's our dude. And when it comes to Zach Taylor, those Bengals players all turned to Zach Taylor and say that's our dude. They're not worried about the fourth and one call about Trent to turn Taylor in Week six or whatever it was. They're not thinking about Sean McDermott and a decision in the a f C Championship Game not to squib kick it, or how

they handled the final moments of that game. UH. The AFC Divisional Round last year, UH coaching is a lot more than that. Coaching is emotional like you. Coaching is being a person that everyone in the building can go to. And coaching is having the amount of vulnerability that you can have to turn to others and say, hey, I need a hand. I have been exchanging text with a lot of these coaches. One of the interesting things New

York Giants had coach Brian Dable. You know, Brian Dable was a coach on the staff when they drafted to mar Hamlin last year. And Brian Dable when he got the job in Buffalo, was sure to work with his general manager Joe Shane, who we've had on as a guest here, who was part of the front office that

that drafted UM to mar Hamblin a season ago. And part of what they want to do is they wanted to build a culture, and they wanted to build UM things the way that they had it in Buffalo, where it's the right kinds of people and and in the face of what Sean McDermott was leading, and also from top to bottom on the roster, guys that you want to be around, and guys that you want to fight for, and guys who want to fight with and they went into debt. They went and brought in Davis Webb. They

went and they brought in John Feliciano. They went out and they got back Matt Brita and Isaiah Hodgens and uh Nick McLeod who was in the same defensive backfield as as uh To more Hamlin last year in Buffalo. He's now a Giant. All up and down that Giant's building in that locker room are former Bills, And that's the coach, it's the GM, it's players. And I think about coaching and Daboll having to come to his team

and saying, that's one of our brothers. You know, he's not with us in in our in our locker room anymore. But we all know that guy. And for those of you guys who don't know that guy, there are players on this lock in this locker room who do know that guy and are hurting right now. So many great examples of leadership and coaching this week, through this horrible tragedy, UM and coaches looking to their players and saying I'm

here on someone you can come to. And mental health matters just as much as this week a teen battle. I love that our league has rallied around this and that we've seen the best that the league has to offer. And by the league, I mean the players, two coaches, and all the people who work UH at the various organizations. And I hope that everything, UH does take a turn for the better. As we're recording this, we're waiting for

for great news. UM. But I also know it is appropriate to talk about football, and we're gonna do that as a football podcast, and UH, We're gonna look at the games on Sunday, but we're also going to look at some of the some of the different storylines that goes into it. And we're talking about leadership so much. And I think that's the theme of this week's show. Uh. Ironically,

a quote that I love, UM that comes up. There's an NFL films series called The Missing Rings and it's really good, and The Missing Rings chronicles all the great teams that didn't win Super Bowls, and it's different teams at a different hour. And they did the nineties Bills and this must have been from like five years ago. And Marv Levy looks to the camera and Marv Levy was, of course the Hall of Fame coach of the Bills,

who lost four Super Bowls. He looks at the camera and he says, after that first Super Bowl, after the Norwood miss field goal, he came into the locker room and the guys were devastated, and he quoted Sir Andrew Barton and he said, this poem allowed. Now, Marv Levy has a military background. He's a military historian. He was able to rattle this off to his guys after a heartbreaking loss in the Super Bowl. He said, fight on my men. I am hurt, but I am not slain.

I laid me down and bleed awhile, and then I'll eyes and I'll fight again. And I get chills saying it. But I think about what we're asking from these players this week, and we're asking from all these different coaches, and we're asking from broadcasters, and we're asking from those folks who work in the medical community who will be at the game doing what they always do on Sundays. Fight on my men, and uh, I've hurt, but I'm not slain. I'll lay me down and bleed awhile, and

I'll fight again. I think of that. Um, we gotta get up and we can all have uh, all of our emotions in our hearts and our prayers with DeMar Hamlin. But Um, the games will be played, and we've got to do our best to go there and do the best job we can, either playing in it, coaching it, or covering it. Our guest today is going to be one of the most coveted men to get in an

interview anywhere. He agreed to do it on Tuesday. He's been gracious enough to do it on Thursday, and he also knows a thing or two about overcoming not only tragedy, but in the face of adversity. Our guest is gonna be Sean Payton, and we're gonna be open and honest with Sean, and he's going to talk to us about what he wants to be in the future, whether it be a TV analyst or a coach, and which place

he might end up with. We have not recorded the interview yet, but I'm hopeful that you're going to come away from it saying not only is Shawn pat And a great coaching candidate, but that Sean Payton is a great leader of men, and I think that's a good theme for this week leadership. Um, and hopefully you enjoy the interview all right, let's bring him in here. Uh. Super Bowl winning coach, one of the greatest to ever

do it. He's a current colleague of mine at Fox Sports, and you're gonna hear his name a bunch of the next few days. Uh. And I've grown to look at him as one of my closest friends. I love working with this guy, and I'm sad those days might be coming to an end soon. Sean Payton, Welcome to the season with Peter Schreger. Peter, I appreciate um. First off,

I appreciate our friendship. You mentioned it. It's funny. Um, we get so in tune to our own jobs, and then all of a sudden, Uh, there's a switch for me. I meet guys like you, Carissa, Charles and Michael and and everyone else there. Um in in not only a new career, but really in a new light relative to how we interact and get a chance to visit. And I've really enjoyed it. Uh. It's it's You've helped me immensely. And but it's the reason we have good jobs. I

think is about the people. You know, I was That's why my job at the Saints was a good job, because it was about the people and ownership there, Mickey Loomis, and the job at Fox is good because of that. Yeah, I see your face and I and I smile because we have a great time together. And yet I also see your face and I think of the word leader. And I started this whole podcast off doing a monologue

of sorts about leadership. And my big takeaway was, you know, we critique in a in a football world, especially online and on TV, like hey, how does how does Zach Taylor not kick the field goal? Instead of why is he going for it on fourth and one when the odds say this? Or how does Sean McDermott not squib kick that in the a f C divisional round? And you say, well, fire that coach, get rid of that coach.

That coach sucks, And then you see the emotional intelligence and the leadership of how both those men immediately sprung to action like generals on a field of war. Um, and we're able to lead men through some of the darkest times. In the last seventy two hours, I look to you as a lifetime uh you know, leader of men and as a as a coach. What was your takeaway and maybe my question to you is when you

identify a leader, is it? Is it something that we may be at home, don't don't don't get to see becast of all the stuff that goes into coaching that that maybe isn't exactly in the field of play for those three hours. Well, I think we get glimpses of it, um, surely, But but I feel like they exist in our children's schools, great leaders. Um. We we just don't maybe equate them

in that light. I think, having two children myself, UM, if during the course of their lifetime they're blessed with two or three different individuals, might be a counselor might be a teacher when they were in grade school, might be a coach, um, maybe uh, an art professor, UM. Somebody that loves them as much as we their parents do and and impacts their lives in such a way that that's the greatest gift we can get his parents

and so UM. I think what we saw the other night were two individuals along with the teammates, that cared for an individual, uh, just as we would their parents. And and I've known Sean Um for a long time. You know, he was started with the Eagles U and was there cutting his teeth under the late Jim Johnson and Andy Reid and then Zack I haven't worked with, but I've had a chance to visit with or talk with. But to watch their leadership the other evening was was

really cool. And I was watching it like you were live. Um. You know you saw the concern on their faces, just like you did with the players, and you know that that on the ground leadership relative to understanding, this is what's happening to my team right now, this is what I think is best. And then eventually the league, you know, having a chance to visit with those coaches and kind

of acquiesced and say, hey, we we trust your opinions. Um. I thought that was There were a lot of things that I don't want to use the word word encouraging, but man, we all went to bed with prayer, but we also went to bed with like, uh that that moment we stopped for a second and it was like

recalibrated and and now you see the whole country. Um. Each morning, I get up in the morning and I quickly go to the news to see if there's an update, and I just keep thinking to myself, I would love to be a fly on the wall when his family is explaining to him the eight million dollar balance in his toys for charity that when the last he recall, you know, he was handling like a part of a neighborhood, Like you know, he's gonna need yeah, and so he's

gonna need um a lot of assistance. And I'm sure he'll find that to distribute that much in toys. But um, yeah, I think it gave us all a chance to quickly recalibrate to your point and recognize, um, these individuals beyond their football helmets, these coaches, beyond their decisions with clipboards and and all of the other things we get so now you just kind of you get in the habit

and a routine. And this was one of those moments where I think that there were parts of it that made you proud to be a part of what we do and to see the human response to this, and

and we continue to pray for for his recovery. We do. Um, when you were the coach of the Saints, the city, the organization, I mean, you're talking coming off a Katrina, we're talking about you know, I don't want to go down the throat, but like you know, Will Smith was one of your greatest players tragically murdered, and like you've got to talk to the team the next day. Is that the stuff that you look back on and say, well,

that's what leadership is? Or is it Hey, I'm gonna call it on side kick on Super Bowl and we're going to shock the world. I think it's all of the above. Um. You mentioned that the tragic death of Will Smith. Um. I also I can recall the day we found out Steve Gleeson was diagnosed with als and we were flying to Seattle, we were playing in the wild card round of the two thousand ten playoffs, and then talking you know, basically talking to our team about

that in the team meeting the night before. And um, I think I think we we we know that there's a lot of times spent in those football buildings, just like there's a lot of time spent. I mean every time I turned the TV on you guys a good morning football. That's there's a lot of hours. And so you become very close to your peers and your co workers, and I think that same thing exists, and so they are in some ways of a family. And I've heard

the term brotherhood and all of those other terms. Um, and it's it's because of common goals, it's oftentimes because the amount of time we're all together. But there's a love and caring for one another, and so um inevitably, when you're dealing with large numbers of teams, there you know, on any given week, there's there's somebody that's aching, or someone that's not feeling good. There's someone who's got personal problems that could be a coach and assistant coach, a player.

When you take that bigger group of people, Um, that comes up pretty regularly. And and so how do you deal with that? And how do you how do you listen? You know sometimes that's a really good trait that we we don't pay enough attention to. And uh, and then how do you react and act on that? And so um, certainly for me is you know, is I'm watching this

week and watching the game the other night. You know, I think our biggest fear, and I do recall thinking of this, Our biggest fear is a teacher, coaches man having something terribly wrong happened to one of your players while you're on watch, you know. And it's been a while, uh,

but we we had a string of adversity. And I say that there was a college death and a professional player's death in training camp because of the heat and and UM, so you're always as as a teacher, we're taught to secure the field, you know, make it a safe environment. Um, you know, equipment outside the parameters of the sidelines, all these little things that you don't want a player to get injured because we we didn't have the field set up correctly or our drills set up correctly.

And that same thing applies in training camp with the heat. Um it applies. Um it's seven and there your responsibility and that's a pretty powerful thing. And UM, I thought both act and Seawan were unbelievable the other night. I remember COVID you were the first one to say, you know, it's screw it. We're putting our whole team in a hotel like you guys are gonna say at the Ritz

you're gonna be or was it just whatever it was? Well, it's um there's some things that you look at they seem like, oh, that's a big change to do that, and it's yet it's very small if it keeps everyone safe. Your name was the biggest name last weekend. There were reports about teams being interested in you. We know Denver fired fired their coach Nathaniel Hackett a couple of weeks ago, There's going to be a vacancy likely in Carolinea all these things. Let's set the stage though, what is your

current contracts status? Because I think a lot of people are confused, are like, well, then isn't he with the Saints and how does that work? Can you just on the record explain to us what your status is? And then also what would have to happen if if a team were to want to inquire yourself, cause I don't I don't know exactly if and I certainly don't think the listeners know, Like well, can they even talk to him?

Like just go through it for us? Yeah? Um, well that's a good question because look, it doesn't happen often. And right now, and I say this, I'm happily employed at Fox with a good contract and a good job with people like yourself. Relative to the NFL, my contract that I have with the Saints essentially runs through twenty three and twenty four, so two more seasons, so something more to happen, Peter, and I say this, I think there's this assumption like all these deals are getting done

right now. And and honestly, like like we said at the beginning, I get up this morning, I'm having a Noah's Bagelsiago cheese with coffee. Um, I'm gonna walk the dogs and uh my wife and mother in law. We'll probably do something this afternoon. We're still weeks away from the period where maybe a week away or two weeks away from the period where other teams, UM would put it in a request in that would simply, you're not on the phone with the agent. Sell me here, what's

going on. That's not the that's not the vibe right now. It's not Manhattan Beach. It's a little cold here. Um, we're at the south end of that like that that like winter swall or whatever that is that what's it called the bomb cyclone? Um that San Francisco together. But we're getting a lot of rain here and I'm sure

this state needs it. So, because of those two years existing on a contract with the Saints, if in fact there was interest by another team, the first step would be permission to to speak with me, and that would be the other team, you know, talking to Mickey Loomis. Ownership of the Saints asking for permission to to visit. Then if it got to a point where it was serious and there was interest, I'm sure that compensation then would would take place, and very similar to a player trade.

So essentially, what I don't know is what that compensation would be, because that would be Mickey in the Saints, in the club that had that interest. So that's essentially in a nutshell. And two seasons, I'm under contract with New Orleans and I'm also working at Fox, and there isn't there's there's nothing pressing right now is certainly you

think about some of the jobs that have opened. And yet I kind of like the job I had with you guys, And you know that that's real because you see me on Yeah, he hasn't left the building yet, you know, and and and so I just like going

over there. There is a little bit of that void, you know, when you leave the coaching realm, which is obviously seven days a week, a lot of time and hours, and then all of a sudden it's quiet in and you go to work once a week and it's on Sunday only, Um, my clothes like are laid out, my socks, my you know what I'm what I'm wearing is laid out Saturday night, go to bed early, and you know

we're in there, what five in the morning on on Sundays. Uh, So that is uh, that's a huge day for me, meaning it's a day to be around football and be around uh people that are that are talking football, that are around the people like you're on field covering games. Uh. Because it's it's quite a change when you go from one extreme to the other. And so Sunday is that like smorgas for all Right, you're there and and time to go home, and you're like, I don't want to go.

I love I missed this. Yeah. You know. One of the things I remember, John Lynch and I were on the same crew for years. I was a sideline reporter. He was a broadcaster and you know, behind closed doors, he had indicated like you know, a desire to someday get back in the NFL, and I was on the crew. The same weekend he actually spoke with Atlanta, spoke with San Francisco about the Atlanta I'm sorry about the GM job. While we were in Atlanta doing a Seattle Atlanta job.

I didn't even know about it. He didn't tell me about it, and then I found out later one of the things John said to me was I missed the scoreboard. You know, I call all these games, but I missed the scoreboard, and I had this burning desire. Do you miss the scoreboard? I know it's just been one year, but do you miss at the end of that Sunday that there's no winning loss at the end. It's kind of like Shawnny did a good job. You made a

great point about Teddy Bridgewater, right, go home. Yeah, I think I totally get that, because you can have a real good day on Sunday with some of your insighter predictions or your narratives. Maybe some days not so so good, but you do drive home and and and you know you probably get home in time or you fly home

in time to watch a little Sunday night football. Uh man, It's it's hard to it's hard to replace that drug of winning though, and that, you know, the the amount of work that goes in to a game plan with your players and coaches and as an organization, everyone is working their tails off. And then to enjoy that in

a locker room celebration. And you know, we we tried to become the best at what we did, uh winning, and then we tried to celebrate better than anyone as well, like you know, with the fancy speaker system, and and but it's, uh, it's it's it's something. And so I would describe if I was painting the perfect analogy relative to me um coaching. Again, It's like there's this NASCAR race track about two blocks away from where I'm staying now with the lights on, and I can hear the

cars running around the track. I can smell the gasoline and and I can even hear the p A announcer. And so like today, I'll get out and I'll walk the dogs, and I'll look over there and I think there's you just know at some point you're going to go back to that track, but you don't know when you got I mean, you're great. I love the way of words you have, and I look at these jobs. There are going to be several I would ask you, and you tell me when I'm asking too many questions,

and you could say, Schregor, shut up. We're not trying to make news having a conversation. What do you value most when you're looking at these jobs? Is it the quarterback? Is it the city? Is it the owner. Is it that when you're putting down your pros and cons? What what is what is on that list? It's what we just talked about relative to Zack and Seawan and then their teams. Uh, and then we talked about it with our job. And I mean this this sounds cliche, but

it's people. UM. I'll give you an example. When I interviewed with the Saints, I had already interviewed in Green Bay and had a really good interview there. The late Ted Thompson was the general manager at the time. Um, they're there a ton of good folks in that building. And I'm from Chicago, so obviously that's fairly close to home. And they're the story tradition. UM. I taking that interview and was back and now I was interviewing at the Saints,

waiting to hear from the packers. Now New Orleans was post Katrina, and I can't explain flying in there for off when when Holmes have trouble after a huge hurricane, there's a lot of blue tarps on all the roofs. So when you landed, you saw thousands of blue roofs that were just temporarily uh, covering up the holes in the roofs, the airport was empty. Mickey Loomis picks me up. I kind of like this guy, Mickey Loomis, Um, we're

gonna have dinner that night. I like him even more. Uh. And that evening I find out that I didn't get the packers job. You know. I remember just getting a voicemail and like ripping my phone into the pillow and just be like ah and uh. And then the focus shifted a little bit more towards New Orleans. And despite all the things that we could have drawn from that visit which were negative, there were so many the schools

weren't open yet, hospitals. I think as a country, and I was in Dallas at the time, but I don't know about you, but as a country, I don't know that. The I think the concern was, hey, are we going to have New Orleans again? Like in other words, it didn't just go away, did it? With that storm? And so football was kind of like way down the list on priorities as far as recovery. But hindsight and I get back to the topic of people, um ownership. Mickey Loomis,

Dennis last to the club president. All these people were in place that were a part of what we were going to build. And so I think finding that right triangle, if you will, of ownership, front office employees, we'll we'll get the players. You know, I don't say that lightly, but I think we'll figure out who the quarterback is going to be and those things we can change easy. Uh may take a minute, but yeah, I think that's important. And I also think the fan base is important because

it tells you a little bit of how serious. Like, you know, I was spoiled in New Orleans. You know there's a waiting list of thirty thousand people for season tickets there, and so you knew when you played there it was a tough place to play. That equates to that equates to something over a period of time, certain amount of winds. And so you go into Seattle, you know it's gonna be a tough place. Kansas City, Minnesota.

These these are passionate fan bases, Green Bay, Pittsburgh. You know, I'm only hitting a few, but it's it's enjoyable to go to work there. Maybe I think it would be more challenging when you see a lot of people dressed up in empty seats. The quarterback position is interesting, though, because you had Breeze for all those years, but we didn't. And I was texting you yesterday we didn't when we got this, well, we got there, Breeds a free agent.

He to tell the story of the visit. By the way, the drive you took with Breeze through the ninth ward, I love. So when we get there, we have all we we know is we have the second pick of the draft, so we know that we're more than likely looking at a quarterback with that pick. And man, we're ending a lot of time on liner Cutler. Cutler, Yeah, yeah, those are the Those are the three projected first round,

top of the first round players. Um. And we were at the combine the day the offensive linemen were working out. The reason I know that is that's the only day I sit in the end zone at the combine the old Indianapolis Stadium, all right, And so I was sitting in that end zone section and we found out Drew had been released by the Chargers. Of course, for people who didn't know that, in the last game of the season, the last game of the season, last he was playing,

he tore he fully tore his throwing shoulder. UM. And it was an injury that really no other player in our league had ever had before fully torn rotator cuff or shoulder, and so there was no precedent. There was no like this has been done. This is what the rehab it was. It was a significant dree and it was going to cost him a lot of time. Um. But we got that news, we began like doing our due diligence, and long story short, he's rehabbing. We're going to bring him in for a visit. The Dolphins are

going to do the same. Um, and we're kind of we haven't hit the draft yet, you know, we we the draft is going to be at the end of April. So we're between I'm gonna say, we're in March, and the competition for Drew. It's two teams, it's Miami and and coach Saban ourselves and Drew happened to be rehabbing in Birmingham where uh doctor m Andrews. Dr Andrews. Yeah, he's got a couple of locations, right, and so Andrews did the surgery. We bring Drew in. We've got this now.

We were when I say we were at that time a complete business startup, Like there was like eight coaches at the time on our staff. Um, we were in temporary offices. Um, we all agreed that we weren't going to use the K word anymore. So no one could sake a train anymore. It couldn't be used, right, And then it was like we were celebrating each a little marginal victory. We signed Scott Pagitta as a free agent. We were like food, he chose us, he shows us,

and like, where else did he have to choose? We're like, that was us, and he us he's coming all right, and uh. But it was really the beginning of the start of all of this. And so here comes Drew and Pete Carmichael, who at that time was my quarterback coach. I just hired. Pete was at the Chargers as a quality control coach, and so Pete new Drew actually was in meetings Withdrew, and so there was like this tie.

It was purely coincidental, obviously, because I had hired Pete and it was, you know, months later that we were recruiting Drew. But Pete gave us a good lea aison if you will, uh, and a go between. You know, here's some of the offensive philosophies that he knows These are some of the tags we're putting in the offense will change how we're calling it based on you know, if Drew's coming, we'll call we'll call these plays what he already knows. You know, it's easy for us to adjust.

So we've got the whole power point and everything goes great. I mean, I'm telling you, we've got the finger food, the white Brittany, I think it's maybe a day of shopping in Magazine Street, maybe a spa somewhere. Um, then I've got a chance. I'm like, I volunteer, like, hey, I'll show him some property, and not knowing any better. But this is a complete mistake, right, I've only been

there a month and I'm driving him around. We go to the north Shore, and if you're not familiar with New Orleans, it's like it's like you're in New York and you're saying, hey, we're gonna go over to Jersey. All Right, it's a different area, but it's an option to live, right, So yes, forty minutes across the bridge,

forty minutes back, A couple of wrong turns. Next you know, I'm looking in the review mirror and Brittany is in the back seat, and you know that Sunday afternoon drive where you know you're on the way home and she's dozing off. Drew's kind of looking at me, and he can see the pilot is concerned. All right, I'm concerned. You can look at the cockpit. Does not look great right now. It doesn't look good. It looks definitely on dishoveled. That would be the dish. And so it's not too

long ago. Two thousand and six. We didn't have like directions on the phone. We had a BlackBerry, all right, We had a BlackBerry. I happened to have a flip at the time. So if I wanted to text somebody, it was three times to get the letter. C You with me, all right, So I call, I call, I call home base Mickey Loomis Mickey, Yeah, he's where you at hes We've been waiting on you. I said, uh, kind of lost. Um. So some eventually we get back.

I take him off to dinner and I just remember thinking I should just drive him right out to Miami. It's over and uh, he saw things that these eyes should not see. No, it was not they were not on it was not on the trip. Itinerary. I was off the itinerary um and but it was one of those things though that we look back on and laugh, um and then slowly, slowly, the collection of the right

people is what brought success. And so I do think we're uh and and that's not just a loan to the NFL that that's I think any business with the collection of the right people who were you know, kind of motivated and um, forward thinking, unselfish and smart, you

can do a lot. Will you tell that story? And the writer journalist and me ties it all up and says, twenty years later, those two guys in the car help rebuild that city, that that area, that area that you were so you know, scared to be and driving through look like it had been rocked. It is probably right now in a lot better Apen. I'm not saying it's it's the work of Sean Paigne and Drew Brees, but you better believe that you guys are in the soil

there at New Orleans for the last twenty years. That was Listen. I don't know that any of us knew truly, we all knew we were going to a place to play football and a place that hadn't had success and those early stages, you know, the only jump ball. Everyone that came came with a clear promotion. You know, I got a head coaching job. You know, we didn't win any ties. You know, Joe Bitt was the only guy that had other opportunities of the same value, and he

chose us. The rest of us all came for promotion. But how Drew ended up there, how Reggie Bush ended up there. There's so many different stories that tie it all together, but none of us could have imagined the significance of that timing. You know, I heard this term the other night. I thought it was interesting. The OH six team that first year, we went to the NFC championship game, and it wasn't our best team. I've said two things about that team. It was our toughest team.

So if that team got in a bar fight with any of the other teams, I think Goes six would have won that fight. And I think it was our most important team. The O nine team obviously won a Super Bowl eleven. We had a number of great, great teams, but the significance of that first year relative to what that city was going through, and so I think one of the things that is pretty cool and it's back to your jumping backwards here to your question about decisions

relative to existing teams. Is sometimes those challenges where everyone says no way, and you're like, I can totally see it there, and and it's the adversity that becomes somewhat comical, and you have those moments where you're building that when people say it's the journey, it really is. It's not the end. It's not holding the rise. It's all the It's like you don't want that to end. It's it's it's the it's the you know, you're running around trying to catch the chicken, and you pick it up and

you've caught it, Like what do I do now? You throw it and you start chasing it again, and and if you'd like to change, yeah, it's that um And so I think back to that triangle. You just want that clear opportunity like the other teams have, and you don't want to be handicapped or handcuffed to where I mean, it's impossible, and so there's nothing. You know, we've all been in a job where you're like you're looking at something early on and you've got to fight through this job.

It's not the perfect job. But for one reason or another, the success you're hoping to attain may take a walk. Quarterback positions, it is great. Do have a preference veteran to drafting a rookie if you had to, no, no, no, no, I you want to you know, someone that's passionate about playing. You know, parcels at a ten ten point checklist for what you're looking for in this position. Please take me

through this parcels. He wanted a battlefield commander. He didn't he didn't want the I think the word was no prima donnas or Hollywood. He just he wanted someone that would lead. He wanted someone in the weight room with his team. He wanted someone that was part of his team. And he wanted someone that you know, your job is to move the ball and get your team to the

end zone. Um. And so history has told us they come in a lot of different shapes and sizes that history has told us they come from all over our country for the most part. And so, um, you know, there's a handful of quarterbacks in this year's draft, but there'll be a pretty I'm sure that not as many, not as many people like that. All of a sudden, we start to look at our draft reports now and say, man, and how did I miss this game? How did I miss this guy? Right? So that's the great thing about

our game. Um, watching him, watching Cody pick at play, you know for Pittsburgh is that his first name is it Kenny? I used to love Cody Pickett, Niners guy was like Kenny pt Pittsburgh's Kenny. Watching him the other night delivered for his team was was fantastic. Um, you know, seeing some of these guys right now in the college stage. You know, I'm kind of right now in the middle of this TCU bandwagon. My son's senior there. He works

in the football office as a student assistant. And watching watching last weekend's game, you know, with with TCU and Michigan are our good friend Charles Woodson had to wear a purple tie the other day. Then you got Georgia in Ohio State. I mean that was pretty amazing those those two games in the back and forth. I don't know if I don't like to have been a defensive coach,

but um, so much good quarterback play. Really, when you're watching it, there's they're being developed quicker I think than before. They're in offenses that are accelerating their learning curve now, and so they come a little bit more ready to our league to play um than they typically have in the past. And that's a good thing. Team says, hey, coach Payton, we love you, we'll pay you X amount

of dollars, and we want everything you bring. But we've got a GM already here that we've been working with for years. Is that a non starter for you? No? No, I think um no, because I listen, that exact thing happened in New Orleans, and so Parcels told me this once. It was interesting. He said, you know, when a team makes a change, he goes you study that roster, and

those coaches that end up leaving there. Oftentimes the mistake of a new coach or a new front office, new GM is they'll jettison some really good talent that really wanted to be there, but they just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. In other words, uh, you know, some some good talent will leave that building. And so when I look back on that first year in New Orleans, man, there were some key players that were currently already in the building that wanted to be champions,

that wanted to work that wanted to structure discipline. You had Will Smith, you had Charles Grant, you had jamar Nesbit, you had John Stinchcomb is going to become a starter. Yet a practice squad receiver by the name of Lance Moore, Debree Henderson from l s u UM. I could go on and on bullocks. We had, Uh. Look, I don't

want to leave players out, Mike Karney. There were a lot of guys that we're just waiting for the right and so I think the mistakes sometimes if if you go in and you just start evaluate what you see and go by what you see in the same thing takes place with the within the building. We had scouts and coaches that became part of it that we're part of the old staff. And so it's back to your question about an existing GM. It might be the perfect

combination that's waiting to happen. UM. Certainly you want to meet and visit with them. I just knew the one positive and there it was. Really there were a few and far between. But Mickey made a great first impression. And you know, he's one of my closest friends to this day and so but honestly speaking, and he knows this I kept thinking, Man, I like this guy. He's got a lot of work ahead of him. I don't know who he's going to get as a head coach

because I thought I'm going to Green Bay. Yeah. Yeah, And that's how the world works sometimes, you know, it's like, wait, I like this guy. Wait, actually it might work out just fine. Um, you're talking a lot about New Orleans. They have a coach, Dennis Allen. I know you're not in. It's not a comfortable conversation, but who knows that might be? Is there a potential return to New Orld? Think so? And look, I'm kind of proud of how those guys

are playing and the way Dennis is handled. They had some tough adversity early in the season, they had lost some close games. Um, they're going to finish the year versus Carolina at home. I know that because it's it's one of my picks this week in our segment. Um. And I think that Dennis is someone that I remember. I mean I hired in two thousand and six, so he was on that first staff. Um. So he came

as an assistant defensive line coach. I think that was his title, and then eventually became promoted to secondary coach and then uh past two thousand and ten eleven twelve, at some point he gets hired to be the defensive coordinator of the Broncos and then went on to become the head coach of the then Oakland Raiders. So no guys like Dennis Dan Campbell, you know how much I'm

pulling for him, Doug Moron at one point. You know, we've had a number of guys come through our program be a part of our staff that went on to become either coordinators or head coaches. And I think Dennis is one of those guys that's going to do a really good job. A couple more questions then we'll wrap. I hate feeling like this is like you on the hot seat, but this is fun. No, it's all good. Hey, when you're done, all right, what do I have here?

Cards against Humanity? What hidden gems? Bundle? Okay, bring it this weekend play with I think you'd be pretty good at trivia. I'll bet you'd be real good. Guys. Do it right now? Do you have it? It's wrapped Christmas gift, A little little stocking stuff. That's good. So Tom Brady is here your quarterback wherever you go. How's that for a nice one? Man? I'll tell you what, um that No, I think that there are a number of things that play into Tom's decision. When I can't speak for Tom

what I haven't talked to Tom. Uh. I'm certainly a big fan. It was good to see them play well this past week. And when I say it was good to see them, I'm actually pulling for New Orleans and against that division. It's just my nature. Um, But he and Mike Evans hooked up for you know, some big plays people forget. And I'm not sidestepping this question real quick.

You're always as an evaluator trying to see how much of the decline has been Tom, or how much has it been the three offensive lineman that we're injured, a starting center. You know, a lot of different faces in the offensive line. Who's blocking the d gap? The tight ends gone, Gronkowski. All I hear about Gronk is his red zone is catches. But there's a lot of there's a lot of ditch digg and he did all right when it came to their run game. And and so

that's gone. There's one receiver less, another receiver coming off an injury. So that cast. And this is nothing. This is just factual, al right. So I'm not talking about Todd Byron, Tom Brady or anyone else. That cast changed on the Buccaneers this year on offense. Um, just because

there were some injuries and a number of reasons. And so when that cast change changes like that, the quarterback position is affected, the clock in his head is quicker, He's having to throw the ball a little bit quicker. Last week, another tick, another one count, and all of a sudden, some balls down the field. So I don't know that I've seen a drop off when I watched

his team play. Um, I've seen a little bit of a drop off in their offense, but but not necessarily with Tom and but certainly to the mind's eye, we can look at it and say he didn't look the same. Well, no, kid, he didn't look the same. And none of us are if if that type of thing changes. As part of our eleven we've known each other for years. Um. We both happened to be from the same area. And Kelly Forna, now I was only there for seven years. That's where

he grew up, San Mateo, California. He went to high school where my brother went to high school. And it wasn't until really thirty years later, twenty five years later that this agent by the name of Don Yee who represents me and who has Tom, introduced us. We had

a joint practice when I was with the Giants. Tom's rookie year with the Patriots, UM, Tom was coached by the late Dick Raybind Dick was a fantastic coach for us at the Giants, who then went to the Patriots to coach quarterbacks and and had a lot to do with getting Tom there as a draft pick. And anyway, Tom was a backup. I've got some pictures I'll show you where you know here to like really green when

I say green coach and a green player. UM, and so over the years we've always stayed in touch, never worked together, and I think there's too many, too many variables in that equation. If we work together, shregs. I'm going to predict there's a good chance if we work together, it'll be with Fox. Really we didn't. Brady signed a deal with Fox. Yes, but I'm I'm thinking, here comes Sean Payton and it's traveling. You know, he's traveling rodeo of of people that are coming with him, And it's

a defensive question. Can you imagine? And here's and here's the guy in the fourth spot, Tom Brady. You're talking, he's gonna breakdown, He's gonna breakdown. Saints Panther still with us. You're gonna have You're gonna have him on a podcast this time next year, and you're gonna be introducing him. Is hey one of the guys I see on weekends? You know? And and uh yeah, I think um and and look, I can't honestly who can blame him with the contract that that that was reported relative to to

that deal, I know, I know it was nice. Uh all right, this is awesome. My last one, I guess would be if you're a betting man, Um, is your next month going to be filmed filled with flying to local to local all and having dinner with billionaire owners? Or is this next month going to be you know what, they can come to me and or they don't have to come to me? Like, how do you think this is going to play out? Oh? I honestly, I'm the worst at that. I here's what I know. I'm always

like eight days in advance. I know we're in the office Sunday. Uh, and and we may have a Saturday dinner, but we're in the office Sunday all day. I know Monday, TCU plays, um right here at Sofi Stadium. TCU is playing Georgia. Uh. Two great coaches and football programs, and we're excited to see that game. I know that I

might be golfing on Wednesday next week. So the point is, though, like I'm the worst that like, oh, I think they're I do think after this weekend one of the tough things about our business and I hate that we we even use this phrase is black Monday. You don't have to you know, have they even say we don't even do it anymore on NFL network. We're like, let's just not call it that anymore. It's it's just, you know, end of the season changes are being made and uh.

And it's tough because if it's if it's a head coach that's going through that, that probably means there's seventeen assistant coaches that are that are going through the same thing. So um, yeah, it's always a tough part of the year. Um. But I do think this, the next time we do this podcast, I think we'll have a little bit more clarity. I really enjoy what I'm doing right now, and I have a hard time with fantasy football right now, like I don't I don't keep my roster up to date.

I do all these things that you're not supposed to do, and I think I'm in the same way when it would come to wagering odds. But I do think, um, currently, the job I have at Fox, I enjoy, and there's there's a good chance that that I'm I'm doing that again this upcoming year. Wow. You know it's funny because I'm looking at our playoff schedule and Fox has two wild card rounds, two divisional rounds, an NFC Championship game,

and then we host the Super Bowl Fox. So in my head, I was talking to my wife, Erica, who you got to know, and I'm like, gosh, I love coach so much and I want him to get the best job that he can in head coaching. But I'm also selfishly like, we got a cool month ahead, but we're gonna be doing a lot of football talk together and I don't wanted to leave. I wanted to be there so Peter, for our audience, I want to explain to them. Last night um, just random randomly, Trags will

send me something like, hey, I'm just looking here. Drew Brees set the all time UH touchdown pass mark or yardage mark. It was one of these three. It was a Chris Ivory throw, it was a Jimmy Graham throw, or Darren Sproles. And right away, I'm like Darren Sproles, I knew, I knew the play. I had the ball, all right. You know, here's what it is. The homes is you can finish it about He's four thirty away

from breaking the record which Manning broke from Breeze. But I'm looking at the I'm a sick pupp And if you listen to this podcast, you know I have a lot, a lot of interest in like deep football's stuff that maybe not everyone does. Coach Payton and I share that deep love, my kindred spirit. So I said, Trivia, who caught the past when Breeze broke Dan Marino's twenty seven year record of passing yards in a season, And I said, was it Chris Ivory? Was it Marcus Coulson, was it

Darren Sprowls or was it I think? I said Robert Meacham, and coach take it away yeah, so right away, as soon as he gave me the options, I saw one of them. You know, the right away I knew was Sprowls. I put down B right away, be he got it like right when he sent it. And then and then I wrote following, I said, I have the ball and he just went up. So that being said, when when you do these podcasts, I don't know the people at home do this, but I do. I propped the computer

on something. I'm gonna give you three choices. This laptop, Peter is propped on one of three choices. A A Christmas set of Riddell four four wine glasses. You know, a four pack of Riddell um looks like yeah, it looks like a Cabernet wine glasses. Or it's propped on um a Friedo Lay five pack of Cheeto's Son Chips to Rito's Chilian Cheese Friedo's. Or it's propped on two boxes of cereal, one being apple Jack's and the other

box being Raisin Brand. So a the ridel wineglass gift set, be the Friedo Lay five pack of chips, or see all right, see the unhealthy cereal boxes of apple Jack's. And uh would I say the second one, I'm looking at it right here, Apple Jack's and um Raisin Brandon. I'm gonna go with b. I'm gonna say we've got the potato chip variety pack that you bought while walking through a bodega in Manhattan Beach. You're like, oh, let's pick it up with me? Did we might not? You

know what? Those don't go old. I'm gonna say we've got some some some some friedo lay Friedo's that were resting this laptop. Yes, I got it right, I got it right right from the Sam's Club. It looks like, yes, we got that. That is so delicious. Oh I want it all right now to sun Chips. That's the healthy option. Those don't go eating. I can't No one's eating sonships.

I can't believe you got be I'm thinking and I had to like put my eyes down there like I was reading each one, and I struggled with that's good. Uh do you remember so real quick? You guys love this. You know, here's this Hall of Fame coach and there's this me Mr hot Shot on tv UM he's about to go on the Manning Cast and I and I'm like, oh, yeah, what's good and coach just sends me a text. It's a picture of his jersey Mike. Subby's about to eat.

So sure enough, sure enough. A couple of weeks later, I'm stuck in l a X airport. I take a self I got my club sell number nine. Baby, I'm in let's go. Just showing my face with jersey Mike. That's the good stuff, no question, no question. It's uh yeah, it's is honestly. So, I have this eight Sleep app that grades my sleep and it's simple. It's just a mattress cover. Um and look, it can chill, it can warm, and it reads your heart rate all those things. How

long you slept? Four? And I said to my wife the other day, I said, hey, my eight Sleep. Just asked me if I've changed professions. She's like, what are you talking about? It says, well, you're you're averaging eight and a half hours per per night sleep compared to your four and a half. And we just started laughing. Yeah. So the first thing I do when I get up is like, what's my grade? What I get? I got a ninety two this morning? I had eight hours and

four minutes. Um slept well, and uh, there's quite a bit of rain here. But um no, I yeah, we're having we're having fun, and we're talking about a lot of things. Uh. And I listen, I say this, I appreciate our friendship and and it's easier uh after this week. You just want to make sure those people, if if we all as human beings are just a little kinder, a little closer, a little smarter, hug a little bit more.

To see what went on to start our week, and to watch our country's response, our league's response, are our peers responses. It just gives you a good feeling relative to the spirit. And uh. So we're pulling for to Mar's health and recovery. Uh and each day it sounds

like it's getting better, and we continue to uh. But we all want to see that picture where he just looks at that balance and and and it's almost like a movie, right you just like you know those movies where they talk about you've been asleep for this long and it's it's hopefully we get that that happy we're all praying. Hey, that's a perfect way to end this, coach. We thought maybe it's be a fifteen twenty minute chat you at the full hour. I love you, man, I

will see you this weekend. We'll have some Radel wine. Um, we'll laugh a bunch, and then if you're the coach, bring the son chips. And if you're the coach of the Houston Texans in a week we'll say, yeah, well we didn't know that then, but now we know it now. I'm just kidding. Have an amazing rest of your week. And then uh, we'll talk to some football this weekend. You're the best. You're the best too. We see Peter. I love that guy. Uh, Sean Payton is It was awesome.

I didn't know him like this. I think he said that we just became friends this year. Like he was always a coach and I would do sidelines and I'd go in there and he was always very engaging. But Sean always had his guys in the media, and one of them was Jake Glazer at Fox. And I was always like, you know what I have my guys. Glazers

got his, chefter has got his. It's like and I never really made the effort, and I never really thought Sean I wanted to make the effort with me, And then sure enough we worked together Fox and A because of this guy, A friend for life. UM a leader, an incredibly charismatic guy. He's funny as hell, and I think a lot of the things he said we're poignant. I also think, Um, after that full hour, I don't I can't take away if if he wants to coach or not, if he's going to be coaching or not.

And maybe that's the beauty of it. He plays his cards, uh pretty much what feels like wide open. And yet I come away from that interview saying, if I had to put money on whether he's back or not, I'd say please pass. I don't know. I don't know. Um, I want to say back, I mean back at Fox. We've been lucky to have him. I started this podcast about an hour ago talking about Damor Hamblin and how

we're gonna transition to talk about football. We ended it with big laughs and uh, Sean Payton and I talking about son chips and whether they're a chip worth eating and Jersey Mike's and how we've been sleeping a little better since his coaching days are ending. I love you guys for listening. I hope this brought you some joy. And what was a very weird week for an NFL fan and Hopefully we have some better news on the moor Hamlin when this thing post and you start listen

to it, Enjoy the weekend. It's week eighteen. We'll check in next week, hopefully with some different terms. Alright, guys. The Season with Peter Schraeger is a production of the NFL and partnership with I heart Radio. For more podcasts from my Heart Radio, visit the i heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, wherever you get your podcasts.