Few reporters can boast a tight relationship with New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton, but FOX Sports NFL insider Jay Glazer can. Glazer and Payton have been close friends for nearly two decades, commonly spotted together on floats during Mardi Gras and in restaurants during a night on the town.
Glazer has used that connection to get the scoop on several big moves from within New Orleans — ranging from Jimmy Graham getting traded to the Seattle Seahawks to Payton signing a five-year contract extension earlier this year. On Sunday, he weighed in on Payton’s impression of free agent wide receiver Antonio Brown.
According to Glazer’s report, the Saints warned Brown not to bring an entourage with him to the team practice facility before Friday’s tryout. Instead, he showed up at Airline Drive with a three-man camera crew, a personal nutritionist, and a few other hangers-on. Only Brown was allowed entry, and the crowd on his doorstep didn’t exactly rub Payton the right way.
Additionally, Glazer characterized Brown’s performance in that workout as “he didn’t think he was going to play this year,” which isn’t a very glowing endorsement. And considering that he’s informed from Payton himself, well, things aren’t looking promising for Brown to join the Saints — for the playoffs or otherwise.
It’s just the latest misbehavior from Brown, who has butted heads with everyone from his previous coaches (Mike Tomlin with the Pittsburgh Steelers, and Jon Gruden with the Oakland Raiders) to team executives (Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert and Raiders general manager Mike Mayock, and New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft). He hasn’t exactly gotten off to the right start with Payton, but at least he’s apparently rooting for the Saints on Sunday.
