Report: Broncos Set Date for In-Person Interview With Sean Payton
The Denver Broncos entered this first week post-Black Monday with a purported frontrunner to fill their head-coaching vacancy. That candidate is Michigan head coach John Harbaugh, who had a two-plus-hour virtual interview with the Broncos on Monday.
But the rumors of Harbaugh being the frontrunner haven't dissuaded the Broncos from continuing to interview candidates. Entering the 2023 NFL head-coach hiring cycle, there were two perceived top candidates, both of whom would be considered 'retreads.' Harbaugh is one, along with former New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton, the latter of whom is currently collecting checks from FOX Sports as a TV analyst.
Per NFL rules, however, the Broncos have been prohibited from meeting with Payton in-person until at least January 17. Whatever the Broncos' true aim is, the team's hiring brain trust sent a message to all comers on Thursday by officially scheduling that in-person interview with Payton. ESPN's Adam Schefter broke the news.
"Denver is scheduled to be the first team this month to have an in-person head-coach interview with Sean Payton, per source. The Broncos and Payton are scheduled to meet Tuesday morning in Los Angeles," Schefter tweeted.
The Broncos made sure to get something booked with Payton on literally the first day possible. Denver's Payton palaver will go down on Tuesday, and it'll be punctuated with another interview with Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris.
Payton has made it clear that if he doesn't find the ideal landing spot (I.E. the right compensation package), he's perfectly content to ride out another year in NFL media. The Broncos can't have peace of mind in this head-coaching cycle, even if their frontrunner thus far is Harbaugh, without sitting down with Payton.
After botching three consecutive head-coaching hires, the Broncos would be wise to be as exhaustive in their search as possible. Not having a sit-down with Payton would be tempting fate once again, as the Broncos didn't take the time to interview three coaches last January who went on to lead their respective teams to a playoff berth in Year 1: Doug Pederson (Jacksonville), Brian Daboll (Giants), and Mike McDaniel (Miami).
Adding insult to injury, one of Denver's three purported finalists for the job a year ago, Kevin O'Connell, led the Minnesota Vikings to a 13-4 record in Year 1 and a divisional crown. Denver went with Nathaniel Hackett. Ouch.
So, the Broncos' new hiring brain trust, helmed by CEO and part-owner Greg Penner, will be as comprehensive as possible this time around. Broncos GM George Paton will have input on the hire, but it's Penner's decision to make — in conjunction with majority owner Rob Walton (also Greg's father-in-law) and other members of the ownership group.
The Walton/Penner group plans to spare no expense in ensuring the right head coach is hired, so while money won't be a recruiting obstacle in pursuit of Payton, there is one major fly in the ointment: acquiring his rights from the Saints.
Because New Orleans still owns Payton's coaching rights, any team keen on hiring him will have to compensate the Saints by way of a trade. Word on the street? The Saints want a first-round pick and then some in exchange for Payton.
The Broncos emptied their premium-round draft war chest in the acquisition of quarterback Russell Wilson a year ago, but fortunately, Paton gleaned a first-rounder in the Bradley Chubb trade with Miami this past fall. Although a Payton trade would be painful, the Broncos at least have the draft capital to make it a conversation.
There's a lot that could happen between now and next Tuesday, however. If Harbaugh is the apple of Denver's eye, the Walton/Penner group risks losing him to another suitor the longer it drags its heels.
Harbaugh wants back in the NFL and one source close to him (according to The Athletic) believes he would "flat go to Denver" if a job offer was made. If that's true, it stands to reason that the same would go for any team that offered Harbaugh a head-coaching gig.
Indianapolis and Carolina are two teams the Broncos will have to fend off in the Harbaugh sweepstakes. However, neither of those teams have the financial firepower that the Broncos do, with the new Walton/Penner group holding the purse strings.
Stay tuned.
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