Broncos to hire Sean Payton as next head coach
FILE - This Feb. 7, 2010, file photo shows New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton celebrating after the Saints defeated the Indianapolis Colts to win the Super Bowl, in Miami, Feb. 7, 2010. New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton, whose 15-year tenure with the club included its only Super Bowl championship and also a one-season suspension stemming from the NFL’s bounty investigation, intends to retire from coaching. A person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press on Tuesday, Jan. 25, 2022, that the 58-year-old Payton was stepping down. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the move was not going to be announced until a media availability later in the day. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill, File)
Mark J. Terrill
The Broncos finally have their guy.
Denver’s next head coach will be former long-time Saints coach and Super Bowl champion Sean Payton, The Gazette confirmed Tuesday. The Broncos will send the Saints their 2023 first-round pick and 2024 second-round pick in exchange for the Saints’ 2024 third-round pick and Payton, who is still under contract with New Orleans.
“Great fanbase. Great tradition,” Payton told NOLA.com of accepting the job. “The ownership group is fantastic, and I love the way they competed last year. It’s a great football city like we had in New Orleans.”
Payton was considered one of the top candidates for the job when Denver’s search began. He spent the last year as an NFL analyst for FOX, after coaching the Saints for 15 seasons. Payton is one of the most decorated coaches in recent NFL history, posting a 161-97 record with the Saints and winning Super Bowl XLIV.
He will replace Nathaniel Hackett, who was fired before season’s end, after going 4-11 in his first 15 games. Payton will have a tough task on his hands moving forward, as he attempts to get the Broncos back to the playoffs for the first time since 2015-16. He hopes to be the solution to Denver’s offensive issues, which includes quarterback Russell Wilson, who is coming off the worst season of his career.
“He’s one of the world’s best, obviously, a guy who has coached a Hall of Fame quarterback in Drew Brees,” Wilson said of Payton Jan. 8. “He’s competitive as can be, he’s a winner and obviously won a Super Bowl … and just the wizardry that you would have on the field was just magnificent… He’s competitive as can be and he knows how to push guys at the ultimate level.”
The Broncos did have to compensate the Saints for Payton, which is why some believed the Broncos, and others, might pass on Payton. The veteran coach also interviewed with the Panthers, Cardinals and Texans, with some thinking he would opt to return to TV instead of coaching. There was speculation that Payton preferred to coach in Los Angeles for either the Rams or Chargers, if those jobs came open next season. Clearly, that was wrong.
And there were several twists and turns during the search, which was led by Broncos owner and CEO Greg Penner, that made it appear the Broncos wanted someone else. University of Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh was the first to interview and considered the favorite to land the job. But that door was shut twice, with Harbaugh turning Denver down after the first interview and the second, when Penner flew to Ann Arbor to speak with Harbaugh on Jan. 25.
The Broncos were also very interested in 49ers defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans, who quickly became the favorite after Harbaugh was removed from the race. But Ryans, who has family connections to Houston, wanted the Texans’ job, which he ended up landing. That led Denver back to Payton, who stayed in contact with Broncos leadership throughout the entire process.
In recent days, the Broncos zeroed-in on Payton and worked with the Saints to come up with a deal. Payton is also believed to be made one of the highest-paid coaches in the NFL. His contract details have yet to be released, but it’s believed he could make anywhere from $15 million to $20 million or more.
That’s a large number for a coach who hasn’t been in the league the past year. And it cost a good amount of draft capital. Add that on top of what the Broncos gave up for Wilson a year ago, and the Broncos have traded away three first-round picks, three second-round picks and edge rusher Bradley Chubb in hopes of building a functional offense.
But it could all be worth it if Payton works out. He certainly had the best resume of any candidate Denver interviewed. In 15 years with the Saints, his team finished outside the top 10 in points per game only twice, with nine top five finishes. At 59 years old, he’s won more games (161) than 27 active NFL coaches. And, now back in the NFL, he’s one of eight active head coaches to have previously won a Super Bowl.
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