Feb. 7 marked 13 years since Sean Payton last held the Lombardi Trophy. 

The new Broncos’ coach is considered one of the best coaches in recent NFL history, formerly leading the Saints to 152 victories in 15 seasons in New Orleans. But even he knows it’s been too long since he last won a Super Bowl, and that’s why he decided to come to Denver.  

“Win a Super Bowl. Win multiple — win,” Sean Payton said Monday at his introductory press conference. “It’s important here. Look, I’ve had a number of opportunities maybe to go somewhere and it just — here you are, there’s no other city that’s sold out as often as this city is with their football team, in fact in all of sports.

“That’s important. That passion is important, that crowd noise. I don’t want to play somewhere or coach somewhere where half of the visiting fans are coming from the opponents team. I know that’s not the case here. Winning.”

Winning the first Super Bowl in Saints franchise history wasn’t an easy accomplishment for Payton. But he did it quickly, winning Super Bowl XLIV over Peyton Manning’s Colts in his fourth season in New Orleans. 

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And it was quite the turnaround he had with the Saints, which were considered one of the worst teams in the NFL at the time he was hired in 2006. The city was also still recovering from Hurricane Katrina. 

But Payton was able to go 10-6 in first season and reach the NFC Championship Game before losing to the Bears. Three years later he and the Saints won the Super Bowl. 

“There was turnover in that first couple seasons,” Payton said. “There were a number of players that ended up playing on our Super Bowl team in 2009 that were a part of that transition. It was difficult. It was uncomfortable. There are a lot of people that embrace and are comfortable with change, and then there are a few that aren’t.” 

Payton faces a similar situation in Denver, needing to turn around a team that hasn’t made the playoffs in seven years with six consecutive losing seasons. Unlike the Saints, however, the Broncos historically are known for fielding a competitive team and competing for Super Bowls on a consistent basis. Payton cultivated that culture from scratch in New Orleans, and appears to have a plan to do the same in Denver. 

The expectation is for Payton to lead the Broncos back to the playoffs sooner rather than later. And with division rival Kansas City reaching five straight AFC championship games, with three Super Bowl berths in five years, the pressure to win quickly has never been higher. 

“I’m jealous when I watch it, when I see Philadelphia or Kansas City. There’s some common themes to those teams,” Payton said. “Unselfish isn’t necessarily the word, but there is a — because the journey is so long, there is a closeness. Those guys will walk together forever whoever wins this game. Forever, they’ll be introduced as the 2023 Super Bowl Champions and it was played in Arizona. And they’ll talk about those games when they’re in rocking chairs when they’re in their 80s. That’s pretty cool.”

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Payton made clear his preferred winner Sunday. 

“I’m picking the Eagles,” Payton said unprompted when talking about who he’s got in the Super Bowl this coming Sunday. “We never want anyone in our division to win anything. Right? The perfect weekend for a Bronco fan is we get a win and the other three lose.”

And while he watches Sunday, fulfilling his final duties for FOX, he’s sure to be thinking about the next time he’s coaching in that game. 

“I want to get back there,” Payton said. “That addiction is powerful.” 

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