Hakeem Nicks’ weekly texts to Sean Payton help land him on Saints

5:38 PM ET

WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va. — Hakeem Nicks isn’t ashamed to admit it. The veteran wide receiver was texting Sean Payton every week this summer, pushing for a job after he worked out for the New Orleans Saints in May.

He’d write things like, “Let’s hunt,” and would often throw in his training videos.

Payton never replied. “Just like a head coach,” Nicks cracked. But he knew Payton was getting the message.

“You know how on text messages you can see the little ‘r’ that says ‘read,'” Nicks said with a smile.

Clearly Payton did get the message, since the Saints signed Nicks this week after placing veteran receiver Vincent Brown on injured reserve.

Payton said there was a lot to like about Nicks, a former New York Giants standout and Super Bowl champion. Payton said Nicks is in good shape, has good experience and has strong hands in traffic. He said the 6-foot-1, 208-pounder has “played in some big moments.” And he said Nicks has a “personality that obviously can be infectious and help the room.”

“Plus,” Payton added, “he wouldn’t stop texting me.”

Nicks, 28, said his agent stayed in …

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