The NFL and the Associated Press have officially crossed the line in their disrespect of Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton. Payton is two wins away from doing something no coach in NFL history has ever done -- winning a Super Bowl with two franchises -- yet he's not up for the one award he would actually be eligible to win.
The NFL Coach of the Year award is one of the most predictable awards every single year. It's not even about who is the best coach in the NFL in a given year, although there are many deserving candidates. Most often, it's about the head coach who does the best job at turning around a team that was bad last season.
So unfortunately for him, Sean Payton's team won 10 games last year before winning the AFC West and earning the top seed in the AFC this year.
Sean Payton not named a finalist for AP NFL Coach of the Year Award
The finalists for AP Coach of the Year and Assistant Coach of the Year! #NFLHonors pic.twitter.com/LHoxHUddFm
— NFL (@NFL) January 22, 2026
The finalists for this year's NFL Coach of the Year award are all deserving, right?
- Jaguars HC Liam Coen
- Bears HC Ben Johnson
- Seahawks HC Mike Macdonald
- 49ers HC Kyle Shanahan
- Patriots HC Mike Vrabel
The likes of Liam Coen, Ben Johnson, and Mike Vrabel brought their teams out from horrendous situations just a year ago and made them contenders. Mike Macdonald's Seattle team has arguably been the most balanced team in the league this year.
But let's be real for a second about Kyle Shanahan being included on this list. Having to work with Mac Jones for a significant amount of time made his coaching job impressive, but his team was also a 3rd-place team thie season.
How is it possible that Sean Payton is not even a finalist for this award? Again, he's on the cusp of accomplishing something that's never been done in the history of the league. And he's gotten the Broncos to this point despite the largest dead cap hit in NFL history from Russell Wilson.
There is a lengthy history of folks in the media and even the league itself not really liking Sean Payton all that much. And in some ways, it's understandable. Payton is not everyone's favorite flavor, and he seems to be okay with that. But he's a really good football coach.
He's a great football coach. He's on the cusp of cementing his status as a Hall of Fame coach, if that wasn't the case already (it should be).
This is just another source of bulletin board material for the Broncos ahead of the AFC Championship Game.