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Tag: Sabans

  • Sean Payton Cryptically Questions Nick Saban’s Story of Dolphins’ Drew Brees Pursuit


    The story of Drew Brees landing with the New Orleans Saints is a famous bit of NFL lore at this point.

    After suffering a torn labrum late in the 2005–06 season with the San Diego Chargers, Brees turned down an offer to remain with the team, and opened negotiations with the Saints and the Miami Dolphins. Nick Saban, entering his second year with the Dolphins, was looking to upgrade from Gus Frerotte after a 9–7 debut season, but Brees wasn’t medically cleared by the franchise’s medical staff, leading him into the arms of first-year coach Sean Payton and the Saints.

    During an appearance on The Pivot podcast with his ESPN colleague Ryan Clark, Saban retold the story.

    “That was the problem in Miami. We never had a quarterback, and we had Drew Brees there ready to sign, and the doctors failed him on the physical,” Saban said. “The last thing before you sign a contract, you go get a physical. So I’m like, ‘This is all done,’ and they call me on the phone and say, ‘We don’t think he can play.’”

    Saban said he had met with Dr. James Andrews, who had performed Brees’s shoulder surgery as well as the knee surgery on the other quarterback that the team was pursuing, the Minnesota Vikings’ Daunte Culpepper. While Andrews cautioned Saban that Brees was more likely to fully recover than Culpepper, Saban didn’t think he could go over the heads of Miami’s medical team.

    “You can’t call up the owner and say, ‘We’re going to sign this guy and give him all this money,’ … and he might not be able to play,” Saban said. The legendary coach said he agreed not to mention Brees’s physical with other teams, and within a few days, the quarterback signed in New Orleans, where he’d immediately blossom as one of the NFL’s elite players and the greatest player in franchise history. The Dolphins proceeded to trade for Culpepper, who was limited to just four games with Miami, and Saban returned to college to coach Alabama at the end of the season.

    The other legendary coach in the equation appears to have some issues with Saban’s retelling of the story. In reaction to the clip, Payton, now the coach of the Denver Broncos, posted, “A little bit missing in this piece…”

    It’s unclear what Payton means with the cryptic message, but it adds some intrigues to one of the great what ifs in NFL history. Without Brees’s failed physical, the Saints may not have won a Super Bowl, Payton and Brees may not be Hall of Fame-bound and who knows whether Saban would’ve made the fateful jump to Tuscaloosa?





    In a recent interview, New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton raised eyebrows by casting doubt on Alabama head coach Nick Saban’s version of events regarding the Miami Dolphins’ pursuit of quarterback Drew Brees back in 2006. Payton cryptically questioned Saban’s account of the situation, suggesting that there may be more to the story than meets the eye.

    Many NFL fans are familiar with the narrative that Saban, who was the head coach of the Dolphins at the time, passed on signing Brees due to concerns about his shoulder injury. The Saints ultimately swooped in and signed Brees, leading to a decade-plus of success in New Orleans.

    However, Payton’s comments have reignited speculation about what really went down behind the scenes. Could there have been other factors at play that led to the Dolphins missing out on a future Hall of Fame quarterback? And why is Payton choosing to speak out now, more than a decade later?

    As the football world eagerly awaits further details, one thing is clear: the mystery surrounding the Dolphins’ decision to pass on Drew Brees continues to intrigue and captivate fans and analysts alike. Stay tuned for more updates on this developing story.

    Tags:

    1. Sean Payton
    2. Nick Saban
    3. Drew Brees
    4. Miami Dolphins
    5. NFL
    6. Coaching
    7. Cryptic
    8. Questions
    9. Pursuit
    10. Speculation

    #Sean #Payton #Cryptically #Questions #Nick #Sabans #Story #Dolphins #Drew #Brees #Pursuit

  • Sean Payton challenges Nick Saban’s Drew Brees Saints story | Saints


    Former Saints head coach Sean Payton took to social media Wednesday to challenge legendary former Alabama head coach Nick Saban on his recollection of how Drew Brees ended up in New Orleans in 2006.

    Nineteen years ago, Saban was entering his second campaign as the head coach of the Dolphins following a 9-7 season.

    Despite the winning mark, the Dolphins went into free agency in desperate need of a quarterback and pursued Brees, who was recovering from a shoulder injury he suffered during the 2005 season finale with the San Diego Chargers.

    On “The Pivot Podcast,” Saban said Brees was ready to sign with the Dolphins, but he failed his physical.

    “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. “So, I didn’t want to get in that briar patch with the owner, so I said ‘OK.’”

    The rest was history.

    “I actually regretted it because that year, Drew Brees plays lights out for New Orleans,” Saban said.

    Of course, Brees went on to become the greatest player in Saints franchise history from 2006-21, and led the team to its only Super Bowl championship in 2010.

    Saban said after the Dolphins couldn’t sign Brees, he called Brees’ agent and told him about the failed physical. Saban said Brees’ agent said news of the quarterback’s failed physical couldn’t become publicized because then no team would want to sign him.

    “And I said, ‘Nobody would know,’” Saban said. “‘How much time do you need?’ He said, ‘Like, 72 hours.’ I never told anybody. Nobody knew [about the failed physical] for 72 hours until he signed with New Orleans.”

    Sean Payton isn’t buying it

    Payton, who is now the head coach of the Denver Broncos after leaving the Saints in 2022, commented on the clip with a simple sentence.

    “A little bit missing in this piece…” Payton responded to the clip that “Pivot” host Ryan Clark posted on X.

    Brees, who retired after the 2020 season, was lured to New Orleans by Payton and the Saints front office. On a Payton-guided tour of a city still recovering from Hurricane Katrina in 2006, the former Purdue quarterback was given a glimpse of what awaited him in New Orleans.

    After giving the Brees family a tour of the northshore of Lake Pontchartrain, Payton returned to the city and took a wrong turn down a road that was blocked by a tugboat.

    Aside from the emotional aspect of taking on the challenge of helping lift an entire city and region, Brees said he felt more wanted by Payton and the Saints.

    “The trips were very different in the feelings that I got from the people,” Brees said, according to a 2009 Times-Picayune story. “Miami was one of those kind of places that, like, everyone would just expect, ‘Why wouldn’t you want to come to Miami?’ Whereas New Orleans was like, ‘We want you.’ Like, ‘We really want you. You are our guy. We have as much confidence in you as you have in yourself to come back from this injury and be better than you ever were before. And not only from the standpoint of the organization and the team, but also what you can do for the city.’”

    After losing out on Brees, the Dolphins traded for Minnesota Vikings quarterback Daunte Culpepper, who also had health concerns coming into the 2006 season. While Brees bounced back and played the best football of his career post-torn labrum and damaged rotator cuff for 15 years, Culpepper regressed even more health wise and only lasted four more seasons in the NFL.

    He played four games for the Dolphins.

    In January 2007, Saban took the job to become the head coach at the University of Alabama.





    In a recent interview, New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton has challenged Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban’s story about Drew Brees almost becoming a member of the Miami Dolphins instead of the Saints.

    Saban recently recalled in an interview that he almost signed Brees during his time as the Dolphins head coach, but the team ultimately chose to pass on him due to concerns about his shoulder injury. Brees went on to sign with the Saints in 2006 and become one of the most successful quarterbacks in NFL history.

    Payton, however, has disputed Saban’s version of events, claiming that the Saints were always the top choice for Brees and that his shoulder injury was not a major concern for the team.

    The two coaches have a long history together, with Payton serving as an assistant under Saban at both LSU and the Miami Dolphins. Despite their friendship, it seems that there may be some disagreement over the details of Brees’ decision to join the Saints.

    It will be interesting to see if Saban responds to Payton’s challenge and how this story continues to unfold. Stay tuned for updates on this intriguing saga between two coaching legends.

    Tags:

    Sean Payton, Nick Saban, Drew Brees, Saints, NFL, football, rivalry, coaching, quarterback, New Orleans Saints, Alabama Crimson Tide, NFL news, sports rivalry, NFL coaches

    #Sean #Payton #challenges #Nick #Sabans #Drew #Brees #Saints #story #Saints

  • Nick Saban’s retirement as Alabama head football coach inspired 5-star QB to jump to Big Ten powerhouse


    Nick Saban’s sudden retirement as Alabama’s head football coach caused mass roster turnover in Tuscaloosa last January. One of the most severe losses was 5-star Julian Sayin, the likely successor to Jalen Milroe in the Crimson Tide QB room before transferring. Sayin explained how Saban’s retirement led to his finding an ideal home with Ohio State, which plays Notre Dame on Monday in the College Football Playoff National Championship from Atlanta. “It was definitely a little surprising,” Sayin told AL.com. “I just didn’t really have a relationship with (Kalen DeBoer and his coaching staff). Just felt like I should enter…





    In a shocking turn of events, Nick Saban’s retirement as the head football coach of the Alabama Crimson Tide has inspired one of the nation’s top high school quarterbacks to make a sudden decision to jump ship to a Big Ten powerhouse.

    The 5-star quarterback, who had previously been committed to Alabama, announced his decision to decommit and instead join a Big Ten program known for its strong quarterback development and successful track record.

    Many experts believe that Saban’s retirement played a significant role in the quarterback’s decision, as the legendary coach’s departure from Alabama created uncertainty and instability within the program.

    While the quarterback’s decision has been met with mixed reactions from fans and analysts alike, one thing is for certain – Saban’s retirement has already had a major impact on the college football landscape, with top recruits suddenly reconsidering their commitments in light of the coaching change.

    As the college football world reacts to Saban’s retirement and the ensuing fallout, all eyes will be on the Big Ten powerhouse as they welcome their newest star recruit. Only time will tell if this quarterback’s decision will pay off in the long run, but one thing is certain – Nick Saban’s retirement has already left a lasting impact on the future of college football.

    Tags:

    1. Nick Saban retirement
    2. Alabama head football coach
    3. 5-star QB
    4. Big Ten powerhouse
    5. College football news
    6. Coaching changes
    7. NCAA football updates
    8. Recruiting news
    9. College football rumors
    10. Saban legacy

    #Nick #Sabans #retirement #Alabama #football #coach #inspired #5star #jump #Big #Ten #powerhouse

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