Everyone has responded to the coronavirus pandemic a little differently. For New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton, who tested positive for the infection and was recently cleared, it meant a two-week stay at home before he was cleared on March 24. For Saints quarterback Drew Brees, his family’s response has included substantial financial donations and frequent nature walks with their dogs.
On Sunday, one of those neighborhood walks included a guest to be wary of — a young rattlesnake. Brees shared a photo of the venomous reptile on social media, which Payton noticed and offered a bit of advice: “Let’s find a different route. Ok?” While the government recommends that people maintain at least six feet between themselves and others with coronavirus infections on the rise, Payton is probably wise to suggest a wider gap between yourself and a rattlesnake.
It’s good to know that it takes almost a month in isolation for an NFL head coach to visit his Twitter account and see what his franchise quarterback is getting up to. Of course, Payton didn’t just log on to check on his players; he also broke down the X’s and O’s of his favorite football plays, digging into some of his playbook’s terminology. For example, Payton explained that the Saints use sandwich shop chains to designate tight splits like J.J. (for Jimmy John’s) and Quizno’s. While Payton and his staff hope to return to normalcy soon (as everyone does), it’s great to see that he’s keeping himself busy during a difficult time.
