“Pied Piper of Popeyes’’ Payton and “BroncosCountry, Let’s Try Again’’ Wilson are reunited five years later. 

Sean Payton coached Russell Wilson in the 2018 Pro Bowl. Another quarterback in that quasi-football game was Drew Brees.

Woody Paige: Sean 'The Fixer' Payton is here — now the work begins for the Broncos

Payton and Brees, whose relationship was born by the bayou in Nawlins in 2006, certainly enhanced each other. Brees will become a Hall of Fame inductee with the guidance of his coach, and Payton could get to Canton because of the performance of his quarterback(s).

(Think Mike Shanahan and John Elway.)

Together Sean and Drew won 152 regular and post-season games, reached the playoffs in nine seasons and won the Super Bowl.

However, on Jan. 11, 2014, they did lose a memorable playoff game to the Seahawks and Wilson 23-15 with a quirky Saints play at the end in a Seattle rainstorm. But Seattle defeated a quarterback named Peyton Manning for the World Championship.

Now, Payton is Wilson’s head coach, and he knows all about short quarterbacks. Brees was a 6-footer. Wilson is 5-11. Payton, who played in three NFL games as a QB during the strike season of 1987, is 5-11 his own self.

Payton and Wilson can look each other directly in their eyes, and Payton will attempt to ameliorate Wilson enough to get him into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Weird world.

Sean Payton's Broncos contract will make him among highest paid coaches in NFL

Mike Shanahan said of Payton to Mike Klis of Denver’s 9News, “EIU Panther, that’s all you need to say. He will be able to adjust his offense and defense to the talents of his players. I believe he’s a natural leader as well. That’s already been proven.’’

Payton, Shanahan and Tony Romo were quarterbacks at Eastern Illinois.

Brees addressed the Wilson-Payton pairing Tuesday with Longmont’s own Ed Werder of ESPN, saying he believed that Russell “having Sean Payton come for what (Wilson’s) hoping is the rest of his career, I’m not sure there’s a better scenario for him. This is set up to be Russell Wilson’s prime – especially with Sean Payton and a system that’s going to be built around him.’’

Payton already has started to try to solidify the defense by meeting Thursday with the Broncos’ 2022 defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero, who still is under contract, but has interviewed for the two remaining vacant head coaching positions. Payton indicated weeks ago he planned to assemble an all-star staff, and the report was he’d hire former Broncos’ head coach Vic Fangio as defensive coordinator. Yet, Fangio acknowledged Thursday he was joining the Dolphins and Aurora’s own Mike McDaniel.

A return of Fangio would have been untenable, so the Broncos must give Evero a considerable raise and hope he’ll stay for at least one more season. If Evero, who was Nathaniel Hackett’s teammate and roommate, leaves, Payton may turn to Kris Richard, who has just been fired by the Saints as co-defensive coordinator. Richard has been a defensive backs coach for three teams and was the Seahawks’ defensive coordinator for three seasons when Wilson was in Seattle.

The offensive coordinator most likely will be Joe Lombardi, fired this week after two seasons with the Chargers. The grandson of legendary Vince Lombardi twice coached under Payton with the Saints for a dozen seasons. His last stint was as quarterbacks coach. Payton also will consider Saints offensive line coach Doug Marrone, Payton’s offensive coordinator in 2006-08 who has served as Bills and Jaguars head coach and twice hired Hackett as his offensive coordinator. Saints offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael Jr. could be a candidate for assistant head coach.

Paul Klee: By hiring Sean Payton, Broncos try to buy their way back to NFL relevance

Payton definitely will hire a new offensive line coach, a running backs coach and a special teams coordinator after Butch Barry and Dwayne Stukes were fired by interim coach Jerry Rosburg, who won’t be back either, and Tyrone Wheatley already has resigned. At least 20-plus assistants hired by Hackett for his massive staff will not return, and Bill Kollar officially has retired.

If he desires the Broncos’ new coach can have picks from the Colts, the Cardinals and the Texans.

After his contract is finalized, Payton’s next priority should be to meet with Wilson and order he pass on the Cannes Film Festival, get rid of most of his staff — each apparently has his or her own bathroom among the 12 at Wilson’s Cherry Hills home – and concentrate on being a Pro Bowl quarterback again.