Sean Payton's HoF Mentor Airs Thoughts on Broncos' 2023 Outlook
In the tight-knit NFL coaching circles, a good referral leads to job opportunities, and if you're lucky, that can translate into finding a long-time mentor. Ever since Sean Payton first worked under legendary Hall-of-Fame head coach Bill Parcells on the Dallas Cowboys staff in 2003, he has kept in touch with his mentor.
Having a guiding light in the grind of professional coaching is worth its weight in gold, especially when the going gets tough. Indeed, Parcells has always felt obligated to impart his advice to not only the Denver Broncos' new head man, but any coach who reaches out.
“One of the jobs is to pass things on to people that are in your profession and I feel that’s an obligation on my part, and if somebody solicits information from me and I think I can speak with it or on it, then I feel obligated to do so,’’ Parcells told The Denver Gazette's Chris Tomasson.
Payton has never claimed to have read every book on coaching, but a calming word or a piece of advice here or there from the likes of Parcell can make a big difference. Over time, the trunk ultimately fills out on the coaching tree, so for Parcells, accumulating football wisdom through practical application was part of the process for Payton.
“He grew as a coach,’’ Parcells said via Tomasson. “I always thought he had real good ability, but it’s just kind of learning what’s important and how to do things and just all that kind of stuff. When you get to that place (as a head coach), then you’re more well-rounded and you have a better chance. So that took a little while for him, but it took a little while for all us.”
Given the enormity of changing the Broncos' losing narrative, Payton's relationship with Parcells can help establish the foundation to build upon. Payton’s ability to gain the ear of quarterbacks has always stood out to Parcells, and next up is Russell Wilson.
It’s entirely understandable that the bulk of the media focus will remain on the quarterback/coach dynamic during Broncos training camp, but Parcells is wise enough to understand that football teams are comprised of many different components.
“Well, they’re not playing solitaire out there,’’ Parcells said via Tomasson. “There’s more than one player playing, but the quarterback is very important. Sean’s had good success with quarterbacks and developing Drew Bees and that kind of thing, so hopefully that will work with Wilson.”
Payton took the bull by the horns early on by decisively clearing out potential buffers between him and his quarterback, setting some clear boundaries on who has access to Broncos HQ. That kind of I-know-what-I'm-doing confidence in problem-solving comes from Payton earning his spurs for real, and when it comes to the coach's daily grind, he only reaches out to his old mentor from time to time.
“He’s his own guy. He knows what he’s doing,” Parcells said via Tomasson. “He’s really a good coach and he’s proved his methods work. It’s just that sometimes head coaches have a need to have somebody to talk to that they know understands. That’s really all it is.”
Like all great mentors, Parcells watches in the wings because he simply can’t help himself. But Parcells has plenty of faith in what his former pupil can achieve in Denver.
“I can just tell you they have a good coach in place," Parcells said via Tomassaon. "I’m sure things will improve."
The Payton era begins in earnest when the Broncos kick off 2023 training camp on July 28.
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