The search for the Denver Broncos’ next head coach is finally over. While Sean Payton started out as the team’s frontrunner, a jumble of reports made the pairing seem murky at first. Most of it proved to be nonsense as it was announced that the Broncos were finalizing a deal to bring the former Super Bowl-winning coach on board. While Payton’s journey has been a wild one, there’s a strong indication that he’s the perfect person to turn the franchise around.
Sean Payton’s career as a player
Payton was born in San Mateo, CA, but raised in Naperville, IL where he attended Naperville Central High School — and was the school’s starting quarterback in his senior year. His performance earned him a scholarship to Eastern Illinois University.
As a Panther, he was the starting quarterback from 1983-1986 and finished as a three-time All-American. In his final season, he led the team to the FCS quarterfinals of the Division I-AA playoffs. Payton ended his college career as EIU’s career leader in passing yards (10,655), completions (758), and touchdowns (75). He was inducted into their Hall of Fame in 2000 and his No. 18 jersey number was retired in 2010.
The current Denver Broncos head coach went undrafted in the 1987 NFL Draft. He spent time with the Chicago Bruisers and Pittsburgh Gladiators in the Arena Football League and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the Canadian Football League. The Chicago Bears signed him as a replacement player during the 1987 strike — appearing in three games, completing 8 out of 23 passes for 79 yards with no touchdowns and one interception.
In 1988, Payton finished his playing career with the Leicester Panthers in England through the UK Budweiser National League. He won the starting quarterback job and finished the season with an 8-5 record. During the same year’s BAFA National League Playoffs, Leicester advanced to the quarterfinals before losing to the London Olympians. Payton retired from playing and moved back to the US — where he went on to begin his coaching career as an offensive assistant at San Diego State.
Sean Payton’s assistant coaching career
After two seasons at SDSU, he accepted a position at Indiana State (running backs coach, 1990-91), made his return to San Diego State (running backs coach, 1992-93), then to the University of Miami (offensive coordinator, 1994-95) and concluded his college coaching career at the University of Illinois (quarterbacks coach, 1996).
Payton made the transition to the NFL in 1997, coaching quarterbacks for the Philadelphia Eagles. He remained there for two seasons before heading to the New York Giants in the same role in 1999. Payton was promoted to their offensive coordinator in 2000.
He served as the Cowboys’ quarterbacks coach and the team’s assistant head coach from 2003-05. He guided three different quarterbacks (Quincy Carter, Vinny Testaverde, and Drew Bledsoe) to 3,000-yard passing seasons during his tenure. The Cowboys also improved their passing offense from 31st to 15th in the league during that time.
Though he was passed over for the Packers’ head job in favor of Mike McCarthy in 2006, he ultimately landed his first head coaching job with the New Orleans Saints that same offseason.
Sean Payton the Head Coach
At the time, accepting the job in New Orleans was incredibly risky, but it never deterred him.
“The idea of coming in and building something from the ground floor up (was appealing),” Payton said in 2007. “As challenging as it may have seemed or appeared, there were some things about it that excited me.”
In the previous year, in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, the Saints finished with a 3-13 record, where they finished as the second-worst team in the league. However, Payton immediately turned the struggling team around. With newly acquired free-agent quarterback Drew Brees, together they achieved a 10-6 record and made their first playoff appearance in six years.
They had one of the league’s most productive offenses, ranking first in passing and fifth in points scored. With a first-round bye, the Saints won their second playoff game in franchise history and made it to the NFC Championship. Payton won the AP NFL Coach of the Year Award in January 2007. Brees and Payton’s relationship lamented itself as one of the greatest quarterback-coach partnerships in NFL history.
In 2010, New Orleans won the franchise’s first Super Bowl, defeating Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts 31-17 in Super Bowl XLIV.
As a member of the Saints, Brees was selected to 12 Pro Bowls, was the league leader in passing yards seven times, the league leader in passing touchdowns four times, holds the record for most consecutive games with a touchdown thrown (54), and is tied for most touchdown passes in a game (7).
However, Payton’s resume is blemished by his 2012 NFL-mandated suspension due to his role in “Bountygate” — a system where Saints players were paid bonuses for hurting players on opposing teams.
During his suspension, Payton served as the offensive coordinator for his son’s middle school football team at Liberty Christian School in Argyle, TX. This event inspired the 2022 film “Home Team,” with Kevin James playing the role of Payton.
Brees retired in 2021, but Payton stayed on as the team’s head coach. Though they missed the playoffs, they finished with a winning record despite four different quarterbacks starting throughout the season due to injury.
Overall, Payton went 152-89 in his 15 seasons with the Saints. They had nine playoff berths and won seven NFC South titles.
In January 2022, Payton officially stepped down as the Saint’s head coach. He transitioned into broadcasting and became an analyst for FOX. However, he left the door open for a return to coaching, which officially happened this past week.
Now as the head coach of the Denver Broncos, Payton’s return as a head coach mirrors how it started in New Orleans. He’ll be inheriting a team who just finished last in scoring and hasn’t been to the playoffs in seven seasons. After three failed hires in a row, it seems as though Denver has finally gotten it right.
Time will tell as the Denver Broncos officially begin the Sean Payton era.
