When the Broncos hired Sean Payton, dreams of Lombardi trophies danced around the heads of Broncos fans. Many believed at first that Payton was brought in to help revive the career of Russell Wilson, and that of the franchise quarterback many in Denver believed he could be. What has happened after his first year in Denver has been the complete opposite.
Payton seemingly got the best out of Wilson, but it wasn’t enough. In one of the boldest moves in sports history, Payton and the Broncos released Wilson, took on the largest dead cap hit in NFL history, and put their eggs in the basket of a highly controversial rookie quarterback they took with the 12th overall pick, all while someone believed he wasn’t even a first-round selection.
Easily the biggest gamble in football history, Payton is on the cusp of the greatest payout ever. He is two wins away from cementing his legacy as one of the greatest coaches in football history, but might need to pull off his most impressive act yet to get there. With Bo Nix out for the year, the Broncos are turning to Jarrett Stidham to lead them to the franchise’s fourth title, Payton’s second, and a ring that would make him the first coach to ever win a title with two separate franchises.
Sean Payton has a chance to pull off his greatest act yet this week
Payton has been regarded as one of the best quarterback gurus in football history, and he will need to dive deep into his bag one last time to bring home his second ring. Payton has had extensive success with backup quarterbacks in his career, especially in his time in New Orleans, and we need to recreate some of that magic this week.
Stidham was his first signing once he got to Denver, and he even brought him back on a second free agency contract. Stidham emphatically asserted that he was a starting quarterback at the end of the 2024 preseason, and he can help prove his case this weekend. With a week of preparation with Payton, this duo has a chance to make serious NFL history.
If Payton and Stidham can find a way to win two more games this year, both will go down in history for pulling off this feat. With Payton chasing history of his own, Stidham has a chance to be a Super Bowl winning quarterback after not throwing a single pass for the Broncos this year. In fact, this will be the first pass attempted by Broncos quarterback not named the Bo Nix in the regular season or playoffs since the Broncos drafted him two years ago.
All four remaining teams have so much on the line, but perhaps no two left in the playoffs have more to fight for than Stidham and Payton. History, immortality, and a new legacy await both if they can bring a Lombardi back to Denver.