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Sean Payton Trends As NFL World Connects Him to Broncos Job

Fans have been speculating about who will become the next Broncos coach after the team fired Nathaniel Hackett on Monday. 

Amidst the speculation, one former NFL coach’s name went viral: Sean Payton.

Coincidentally, Payton’s name was just in the news a couple of days before Hackett’s firing as rumors continue to circulate about the former Saints coach returning to the NFL. He retired from New Orleans after the 2021 season.

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Payton said he wanted an “All-Star staff” in order to return to the league. One of those staff members would include Vic Fangio as his defensive coordinator.

This is where the problem lies: Fangio was fired as Denver’s coach in January 2022 after three seasons in the role. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport noted to Pat McAfee on Monday that it would be unlikely for Fangio to return to the Broncos as the defensive coordinator under Payton.

While Hackett’s replacement has still not been announced, the NFL world has conflicting reactions to the possibility of Payton taking over in Denver. Here are some of the reactions from Twitter on Monday.