Pro Football Rumors
The Broncos have locked up their brain trust for the long haul. After signing general manager George Paton to a five-year extension last month, the team has agreed to a new contract with head coach Sean Payton. He will join Paton in landing a five-year deal, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports. Paton and Payton are under wraps through 2030.
The offensive-minded Payton has been one of the NFL’s most successful head coaches since he got his first opportunity with the Saints in 2006. Payton held the post in New Orleans for 15 years, during which the Saints went 152-89 in the regular season and earned nine playoff berths. In the greatest achievement of his career, Payton led the Saints to a Super Bowl XLIV victory over the Colts to cap off the 2009 season.
Three years after he hoisted the Lombardi Trophy, Payton served a season-long suspension in 2012 for the Saints’ BountyGate scandal. That marred his tenure in New Orleans, but he stuck around for nine more years and guided the team to four seasons of double-digit wins along the way.
Payton retired after the Saints went 9-8 and missed the playoffs in 2021, but it was a short-lived exit from the sidelines. After the 2022 campaign, he interviewed for head coaching jobs with the Broncos, Cardinals, Panthers and Texans. With the Saints still holding his rights, hiring Payton would have meant giving up compensation for his services. Denver ultimately ponied up for Payton, whom it acquired from New Orleans for a first- and second-round pick.
More to come…
