Sean Payton received a game ball and got emotional in locker room after beating Saints

Sean Payton returned to the Caesars Superdome in Week 7 and defeated the New Orleans Saints — his former team — on Thursday Night Football.

Payton’s Denver Broncos ran over the Saints, cruising to a 33-10 victory with 225 rushing yards. Following that big win, Payton has now defeated all 32 NFL teams in his coaching career.

Payton tried to downplay the narrative of facing his former team leading up to the game, but it was clearly an emotional night for the coach to go up against the club that he won a Super Bowl with.

After the game, Payton received a game ball from the Broncos and he got emotional during his postgame speech in the locker room.

“I appreciate every one of you,” Payton told his players. “And the reason this was hard is we’re in session right now. And I tell you all the time, I’m not going to remember a lot of things when I get older, but I’m going to remember these moments.”

Payton later said during his postgame press conference that it “meant a lot” to receive a game ball, and he admitted that the day was “kind of emotional.”

Payton and the Broncos will now get a mini-bye this weekend to rest up ahead of their Week 8 showdown with the Carolina Panthers at home on Oct. 27.