Here’s an added element to the energy surrounding Sunday’s wild-card round playoff game between the New Orleans Saints and Minnesota Vikings. Former Saints cornerback Tracy Porter is officially announcing his retirement from professional football, and will be recognized for his contributions to Saints history during this week’s game day festivities. This is sure to sit well with any visiting Vikings fans.
Porter, of course, rose to prominence during the Saints’ first Super Bowl run, particularly the 2009 NFC Championship Game. Porter intercepted then-Vikings quarterback Brett Favre in the closing seconds of regulation to force the game into overtime, which the Saints won off of a legendary Garrett Hartley field goal. Porter also intercepted Peyton Manning to seal the win in Super Bowl XLIV, returning that turnover for a championship-clinching defensive touchdown. Those are some serious credentials to pad out your resume with.
Sure, Porter’s retirement now is more of a formality — he hasn’t played in an NFL game since 2016, which he spent with the Chicago Bears. But this is a perfect opportunity for fans remember his contributions and maybe rile up the Superdome crowd. And if it happens to tweak some salty Vikings faithful — well, take it up with Favre for throwing that awful interception across his body. He and Adrian Peterson were giving away fumbles and interceptions like they were going out of style (the Vikings committed eight turnovers as a team in that conference title game). It’s not the Saints’ fault for capitalizing on Minnesota’s mistakes. But by goodness are we going to celebrate it.
