The Denver Broncos caught the big fish. On Tuesday, the search for the team’s new coach officially ended with the hiring of Sean Payton.
Depending on who you listened to, the deal was on the table and then off the table and then talks started ramping up again and then Sean Payton had no interest, and the list went on and on. But the deal is now official.
The Broncos have agreed to acquire Payton from the New Orleans Saints. It is the first time a head coach has been traded since 2002 when the Oakland Raiders sent Jon Gruden to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Payton sat out this past season but a return to the league has long been rumored. The Broncos were looking to take a “big swing” at hiring a coach; few would be more significant than this.
So what are the Broncos getting with their new head coach? Payton will be tasked with turning around a once proud NFL franchise that has missed the playoffs in each of the last seven seasons.
Payton comes with an impressive resume, which is part of the reason the team had to give up something big to get him.
Payton will get right to work on compiling the rest of his coaching staff and figuring out how to turn this Broncos team around.
The Broncos got a top-tier coach who will likely be in the Hall of Fame at some point down the line. Here are some of the best things that Payton will bring to the organization.
Sean Payton brings offensive prowess
Many teams around the league like to employ offensive-minded head coaches these days and Payton is near the top of the list in terms of offensive coaches and their success on the field.
Payton’s coaching career began in 1988 in the college ranks before he came to the NFL as the quarterbacks coach of the Philadelphia Eagles. He was then the offensive coordinator of the New York Giants before becoming the assistant head coach and quarterbacks coach of the Dallas Cowboys.
Of course, he is best known for coaching the Saints where the team consistently had one of the best offenses in the league.
Payton is known for his ability to prepare quarterbacks to have success as well as offensive matchups and putting the right personnel in the right place at the right time.
Payton is a real X’s and O’s offensive coach and he has a strong understanding of the game and how to put points on the board at the professional level.
Key Stat
Saints points per game during Payton’s 16-year tenure: 26.9
Broncos points per game during 7-year playoff drought: 19.1
Sean Payton brings experience and proven results
Payton is not just any coach. He is a proven winner.
Unlike the last three head coaches the Broncos have hired (Vance Joseph, Vic Fangio, Nathaniel Hackett) who came into Denver with zero career wins each, Payton has many more than that.
In 16 seasons with the Saints, Payton won 152 regular-season games. Only 22 coaches in the history of the NFL have more and now he has a chance to add to that.
Payton has won 63 percent of his career games and he took the Saints into the postseason nine times. For some perspective, the Saints had only been to the playoffs five times in their entire history prior to Payton’s arrival and they had just one, yes one, playoff victory.
Payton completely changed the culture there, taking the Saints to the NFC Championship Game in his first season there. Three seasons later, he won the Super Bowl. He likely would have taken the Saints to another Super Bowl if not for what could legitimately be the worst no-call in NFL history (video).
So how does this translate to the Broncos?
Payton has been here before. When he was hired in 2006, he took over for Jim Haslett who had missed the playoffs five seasons in a row and was coming off of a 3-13 season that ultimately cost him his job.
Key Stat
Saints all-time playoff record before Sean Payton: 1-5
Saints playoff record with Sean Payton: 9-8
Sean Payton brings a proven track record of making players great
Several players on the offensive side of the ball became some of the best in the league at their respective positions.
Marques Colston was a seventh-round pick out of Hofstra in Payton’s first season with the team. The coach found a role for him within his offense and he absolutely blossomed for the team, becoming the best wide receiver in Saints history.
He finished his career holding the team record in basically every receiving category.
Then came Michael Thomas whose 149 catches in 2019 set a single-season NFL record. Thomas was selected to the Pro Bowl three years in a row.
At running back, Alvin Kamara became one of the league’s most dynamic running backs, being just as dangerous as a receiver out of the backfield. That was a role that was perfected by Darren Sproles prior to Kamara.
Then there was Jimmy Graham, who was in the conversation for the best tight end in the entire league when he was with the Saints. All of these players flourished in Payton’s offense and that doesn’t include what he did with the quarterback position, which will be discussed in depth in the next slide.
This bodes well for the Broncos players who many have been waiting for to break out.
Jerry Jeudy could definitely become what everyone has been waiting for. Courtland Sutton could easily do what Colston used to do for the Saints. Albert Okwuegbunam and Greg Dulcich will have the chance to be huge threats in the passing game.
At running back, Javonte Williams will come back into what should be a much more dynamic offense. And if the Broncos choose to stick with Latavius Murray, Payton is familiar with him as he played with the Saints in 2019 and 2020 when he was there.
Sean Payton is great for quarterbacks
If you’re looking for the most important reason why Payton got this job, this is it.
What Payton can potentially do to fix Russell Wilson is the most exciting aspect of his joining the Broncos. After last season, Wilson is going to need to have a huge turnaround.
But this is intriguing because Drew Brees, a quarterback on the shorter side, much like Wilson, became one of the all-time greats under Payton.
But before coming to New Orleans, Brees was nowhere near that level with the San Diego Chargers. While he wasn’t bad for the team, the Chargers still used a first-round draft choice to select Philip Rivers, allowing Brees to walk in free agency.
The Miami Dolphins had a need for quarterback that offseason and decided to go with Daunte Culpepper instead of Brees. The Saints settled on Brees and the rest is history.
If Wilson can enjoy the same kind of success that Brees did, then the Broncos are in store for some great things.
But in addition, when Brees wasn’t able to play due to injury, Payton made Teddy Bridgewater more than serviceable for the team and he found a significant role for Taysom Hill, who was a training camp castoff of the Green Bay Packers prior to being scooped up by Payton’s Saints.
Payton has earned respect from players and coaches around the league for being one of the best quarterback coaches the league has ever seen. If he can do what he’s shown he can do throughout his career, Wilson should see a significant increase in performance in 2023.