New Broncos HC Sean Payton Sends Direct Message Fans
On Friday, the Denver Broncos made it official, announcing Sean Payton as the team's 20th head coach. Literally, before he even left the table upon which the contract he'd just signed rested, Payton's first order of business was to send out a social-media missive to Broncos Country to ensure that fans knew that there's a new sheriff in town.
"Broncos Country," Paton said. "Excited to be a part of this team and bring the winning culture back, so looking forward to working with all of you. We're going to need your support. We're excited."
Indeed, the Broncos will be relying on the long-suffering, undying passion of the fan base to keep flooding the stands of Empower Field at Mile High so that Payton has the support to rebuild the team in his image. Be ready, Broncos Country.
The Broncos invested in proven quality when it comes to Payton. Most fans know that he's a Super Bowl-winning head coach, but his career has spanned 34 years.
For 15 of Payton's 24 years of NFL coaching experience, he served as head coach of the New Orleans Saints for 15 years (2006-21). He led the Saints to nine playoff berths, seven NFC South crowns, and a victory in Super Bowl XLIV (2009).
With 161 overall wins (161-97, .624), Payton is tied for 22nd in NFL history (sixth among active coaches), which includes, of course, the nine playoff victories — with three NFC Championship Game appearances. Payton has a .631 winning percentage (152-89) in the regular season alone, which ranks 16th in NFL history (min. 100 games).
The Broncos had to meet Payton's compensation demands, on top of the Saints' trade requirements to acquire his rights (a 2023 first-rounder and 2024 second). It stings after how much the Broncos gave up to acquire quarterback Russell Wilson last year, but in the final analysis, when Payton's Mile-High tenure is studied in retrospect, it'll have been a small price to pay to secure his expertise.
Payton's decorated history as a head coach is a far cry from the unproven "aw-shucks" resume that Nathaniel Hackett brought to the table as Denver's head coach hire one year ago. The dark, embarrassing Hackett days are in the rear-view mirror.
The age of Payton has begun in the Mile High City. And as happy as Broncos Country is about that, no one is more thrilled than Wilson.
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