Denver Broncos finally hire Sean Payton
- Calvin Lymper
- Jan 31, 2023
- 2 min read
The drawn-out Sean Payton sweepstakes are finally over as the Super Bowl XLIV winning coach has been traded to the Denver Broncos. The New Orleans Saints will receive Denver's 2023 first round pick and a 2024 second round pick in return.
The Sean Payton sweepstakes began after the 2021 NFL season ended, and Payton stepped down as head coach of the Saints. However, an extension he signed through the 2024 season would technically leave his job in the Saints' hands, causing any team that wanted him as their coach to have to trade draft picks for him. Payton was highly scouted by multiple teams as his 15 seasons as head coach of the Saints led to an overall "152-89 record, nine postseason appearances, seven division titles and the team's lone Super Bowl title during the 2009 campaign," as reported by NFL.com.
Spending the 2022 season as an analyst for FOX Sports, Payton would be interviewed by the Broncos, Arizona Cardinals, Carolina Panthers, and Houston Texans. The Broncos, coming off of a disappointing season where they ranked last in the league for "points scored (16.9) and third down percentage (29.1) and 21st in total offense." Rookie head coach Nathaniel Hackett was fired after a 4-11 record. The massive offseason trade for veteran quarterback Russell Wilson did not work out for the Broncos either, as he would finish with a career-low 16 passing touchdowns. With the trade, the Broncos would be without their top-5 draft pick, having traded it to the Seattle Seahawks in the Wilson trade.
Eight candidates were finalists for the Broncos' head coaching job, one of which being Sean Payton. The other finalists included "Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh, former Stanford coach David Shaw, former Atlanta Falcons coach Dan Quinn, former Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Raheem Morris and former Detroit Lions coach Jim Caldwell," as reported by ESPN. The San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans was also a finalist, but he would take the Houston Texans' vacant coaching job on January 31.
Russell Wilson's 2022 slump looks forward to a promising future, as Payton is known for his explosive offense. ESPN explains, "Payton's Saints teams, with Drew Brees at quarterback, were consistently among the league's best on offense. The Saints won at least 10 games nine times in his tenure and went to the playoffs nine times." It's safe to say the Broncos, coming off a disastrous year, will be in good hands under Payton's system.
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