5 Broncos whose stock is soaring amidst stunning playoff run

4. Sean Payton, head coach

I don't know that anyone's stock has been soaring more than Sean Payton's over the last two months. In the first five weeks of the season, you certainly had people in Broncos Country wondering if the team had made the right decision in hiring Payton. People were accusing him of being all talk, and many fans were lamenting the decision to trade a first-round pick (and more) for a head coach.

I think we've seen how big of a difference a head coach like Sean Payton makes over the last two months. The Denver Broncos have beaten some of the better and hotter teams in the NFL over the course of the last six games, including wins against the (currently) red-hot Packers, the previously red-hot Minnesota Vikings, and AFC contenders like Kansas City and Buffalo.

The Broncos hadn't beaten the Chiefs in eight years. They hadn't beaten the Bills on the road since 2007. They hadn't won five straight games since the Super Bowl 50 season.

Sean Payton has done a tremendous job of transforming this team's losing culture and especially when you consider the disastrous state the team was left in after the 2022 season.

The Broncos found the right man for the job, and we'll see how much of a difference a head coach like Payton makes for the final five weeks.