National Football League

Report: Saints to honor Sean Payton

Published May. 16, 2012 1:00 a.m. ET

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The Saints will honor absent coach Sean Payton by keeping his seat empty while he serves his one-year suspension, The Times-Picayune reported.

Team officials have made the decision to purposefully keep Payton's chairs empty in team meeting rooms, as well as the team bus and plane, the newspaper reported Wednesday.

"We miss everything we know about [Payton]," offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael said. "He's special. He has some magic to him."

The NFL found in March that former Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams had paid players for hits that injured opponents. The NFL said Payton tried to cover up the payments after the league started making inquiries and suspended him for a year.

Joe Vitt, who was hit with a six-game ban for the upcoming season, will serve as the team's interim head coach in place of Payton.