If this former head coach has interest, Broncos must replace Nathaniel Hackett

The Denver Broncos are sitting at 2-4 and are spiraling downward at a feverish pace in a 2022 season that is already one-third of the way over.

It is beginning to look as though the team could miss the playoffs for a seventh straight season, something that was not supposed to be an option with Russell Wilson coming in as the team’s new quarterback.

But with a new quarterback came a new head coach in Nathaniel Hackett and to this point, Hackett has not done a good job at all and that is putting it mildly. He has the most penalized team in the league and it is one that lacks proper execution with basic fundamentals.

Though it seemed inconceivable before the season started, the Broncos could absolutely be searching for a new coach once again after this season. That could hinge heavily on the fact that the team is under new ownership, a group that was not in place when Hackett was hired.

General manager George Paton would likely get one more chance to get it right and though there would be numerous candidates to consider, there is one name that easily stands out above the rest.

Could the Broncos convince Sean Payton to return to the sidelines?

Sean Payton has long been considered one of the best minds in all of coaching, posting a career winning percentage of .631 in 16 seasons with the New Orleans Saints. Payton abruptly resigned as the team’s coach following the 2021 season but he was easily the most successful coach in the history of that franchise.

Payton has experience with a quarterback like Wilson, who has often been compared to Drew Brees due to his height (or lack thereof). Payton helped Brees become a lock to make the Pro Football Hall of Fame and he could help get Wilson’s career back on track, along with the rest of the team in Denver.

It seems that Payton will return to football when the right opportunity comes up and his name has already been linked to the Los Angeles Chargers.

What would make bringing Payton back to the sidelines, particularly for the Broncos, is the fact that he is still under contract with the Saints. The Broncos would essentially have to trade for him as the Saints would need to be compensated for another team to have him as its head coach.

There is precedent for this. In 2002, Jon Gruden was traded to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The then-Oakland Raiders received two first-round picks, two second-round picks and $8 million in cash in return.

Though it paid off for the Bucs by winning the Super Bowl that season, that is a heavy price to pay. If the Saints were looking for that kind of return, the Broncos would have to pass.

But if there is interest in Payton’s side and a trade package much less crazy than that one could be agreed upon, it has to be something that George Paton should look into.