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Come Fan with UsWednesday, August 5, 2026

Kevin James is playing Sean Payton in a Netflix movie and yeah, I can’t believe it either

Paul Blart: Saints Coach

James Dator
James Dator has been covering a wide range of sports for SB Nation for over a decade, with a special focus on the NFL.

Just when you thought there was no way for 2021 to get any more unpredictable, we have this.

Oh yeah, that’s Twilight star Taylor Lautner too, because we might as well kick off 2022 with the wildest sports movie possible. Called Home Team, the movie follows Payton during 2012, when he was suspended from the NFL for one year for his role in the “Bounty Gate” scandal. During that year, with nothing to do in football, Payton returned to Texas to serve as offensive coordinator to his son’s pee wee team.

So, all of that actually sounds like it could make an interesting movie. I mean, the bar for sports movies is pretty low — so at least it’s a more compelling story than “underdog finally wins championships.” Still. I’m beyond mystified why Kevin James was selected to play Sean Payton. I cannot imagine anyone connected with Paul Blart: Mall Cop having anything to do with the NFL, and it’s even more hilarious to imagine Kevin James putting hits out on people are part of Bounty Gate.

Home Team is being produced by Adam Sandler’s “Happy Madison” company, because of course it is. Now I just have to wait until January to watch this because I NEED to see what the heck this is all about.

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