Myth no. 5: Nobody wants to coach against the rest of the AFC West
The AFC West includes arguably the best team in the NFL right now, the Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs have arguably the league’s best coach in Andy Reid. They have the league’s best QB in Patrick Mahomes.
One of the common arguments people tried to have with me over the last couple of months is that nobody would want to coach in the AFC West because you’ve not only got to go up against Mahomes and the Chiefs, but also Justin Herbert.
That’s kind of funny, if you think about it, because of how many people assumed Payton’s top choice was to go to the Chargers.
Apparently, the people who are paid competitors aren’t afraid of competition. Who knew?
Last year, the same discussion was being had about the quarterback position. Why would any quarterback want to come play for the Broncos, they’ve got to go against Mahomes and Herbert twice a year!
The same thing was said in 2023 about the coaching search. Why would anybody want to coach the Broncos? They play in the AFC West!
Here we are, and Sean Payton has chosen the Denver Broncos as his destination. According to Peter Schrager, the Broncos are viewed as a “crown jewel” franchise by Payton, his colleague at FOX. It’s interesting how narratives can get twisted over time. The Broncos have had some hard times lately, but they are still the Denver Broncos.
Broncos who benefit most from the Sean Payton hire
On Tuesday, the Denver Broncos and New Orleans Saints made a deal for Sean Payton. Which players benefit the most from this hire?
This is one of the truly great franchises in the history of the NFL. It’s a desirable destination. And Sean Payton being hired has helped debunk many myths about the perception of the franchise by people in the league.