Joe Horn Wants to Retire With Saints

Joe Horn may have missed out on the New Orleans Saints' historic Super Bowl win, but it was precisely that event that mended his relationship with the team.

So much so, in fact, that Horn now wants to retire with the Saints. Horn, who has not played in the NFL since 2007, wants to make it official in New Orleans, where he described his time as if it were a divine experience. Details of a possible contract have yet to be hammered out, though it would likely be similar to the one-day deal Zach Thomas signed with Miami last week in order to retire a Dolphin.

"I've already talked with [general manager Mickey] Loomis and Sean [Payton] about retiring as a Saint, and I'm glad, " Horn told the New Orleans Times-Picayune. "That's the way it should be. Those fans in this city who embraced me and my family ... I was on a carpet ride, and I never wanted to get off."

Horn and the Saints had a messy divorce after the 2006 season, when the veteran receiver left to play for the Atlanta Falcons. Last February, however, New Orleans won its first NFL championship and, as a result, buried all the franchise's lingering negativity.

Horn told the Times-Picayune that the championship allowed everyone to "forgive and forget."

"It was a wrap," he said.

To show their affection for Horn, the Saints announced Tuesday that the outspoken wideout will be inducted into the team's Hall of Fame at halftime of a game this fall. The Times-Picayune reported that the Saints will announce the date of the game later this month.

Horn, no doubt, is just happy to have reentered into a relationship with New Orleans, a city in which he became popular on and off the field. He played for the Saints from 2000-06.

"I appreciate the city that welcomed me, and I'm humbled by this day, " Horn said told the Times-Picayune. "When I was embracing coach Payton and we immediately started reliving the good times, I felt very good leaving that golf course."

An extrovert, who may be most famous for pulling out a cell phone to celebrate a touchdown, Horn was prolific on the field as well. He leads the Saints franchise with 50 career touchdown catches and 27 games with 100 or more receiving yards. His career totals of 523 catches and 7,622 yards both rank second in the team's history.

While the Times-Picayune cites his stellar seasons in 2000 -- when the Saints captured the NFC West crown and their first playoff victory -- and 2004, Horn made his biggest contributions to the city in 2005 and 2006, when it was recovering from devastating Hurricane Katrina.

In fact, Horn recalled the 2006 game against Falcons that reopened the Superdome, marking the Saints' first home game since the tragedy, in a place where many sought refuge from the storm.

It was, according to Horn, just like winning a championship.

"I've never been to the Super Bowl, but I got that feeling when we were coming back against the Atlanta Falcons, " he told the Times-Picayune. "That game was personal. I felt like I could have died on the football field that day and I would have been justified."

He will have to settle for a proper retirement.