Broncos coach Sean Payton returns to New Orleans during 'Thursday Night Football' for the first time since 2022, when he stepped down after 15 seasons as Saints coach.

Some hallmarks of Payton's tenure with the Saints have been established in Denver, but the path to sustained success has to look different.

Rejection brought them together. Payton flirted with the Raiders, but he wanted the Green Bay job. The Packers went in another direction, and he ended up in New Orleans. Brees was headed to the Dolphins as a free agent but failed a physical. Reggie Bush was supposed to go to the Texans with the No. 1 overall pick, but they passed on him.