Report: Sean Payton Will 'Outlast' Russell Wilson in Denver
The Denver Broncos got their guy. Sean Payton is the 20th head coach of the Broncos organization.
The speculation surrounding the Walton-Penner group’s hunt for a new head coach can go away with recent rumors of which coaches will be joining Payton in Denver to make up his assistant staff. The next bit of the Broncos’ news cycle will extensively revolve around the new coaching staff hires in Denver and what the team will do to improve its roster in Payton’s vision this offseason.
The main storyline will be the one that involves the new coach and the new(ish) quarterback Russell Wilson. The dynamic between Wilson and the newly-acquired future Hall-of-Fame head coach will be one of the most intriguing Broncos storylines as we advance through the offseason.
Last week, Mike Garfolo joined Ian Rapoport at the Senior Bowl and discussed the Broncos acquiring Wilson. In the trade, Garafolo stated that the Broncos “bring themselves a guy who did a great job as the head coach of the New Orleans Saints.”
Payton was not simply a head coach, but a CEO type, overseeing nearly all aspects when he was in the Big Easy; according to Garfolo.
“(Payton) really controlled a lot in that building, he was not just a head coach," Garafolo said. "He was the play-caller, had the attention to detail in the facility, the way that he ran the show there (in New Orleans).”
The Broncos paid a heavy price to acquire Payton, given most coaching hires do not involve sending picks back to their former team. Payton might be worth it, as his resume in New Orleans is likely one of the best in the entire NFL. Payton is and was a great coach, and everyone who watches or covers the NFL knows that.
Perhaps most interesting in the Garafolo conversation was his discussion of the relationship between Payton and Wilson. Whether or not Payton can fix Wilson will dominate conversations all offseason in Denver and the NFL landscape.
What would happen, though, if Wilson continues to struggle? Garafolo answered.
“A lot of folks are asking, ‘is this the guy that can save Wilson?’. Even if he doesn’t (fix Wilson), he (Payton) will outlast him (Wilson)," Garafolo said. "You are not bringing in Sean Payton to get rid of him in a year. If they can’t get Russell Wilson right, there will be another quarterback they will move on to eventually. This is a long-haul hire for the Denver Broncos.”
It would be costly for the Broncos to move on from Wilson, and the team would be in a much better position if Payton could rekindle the magic that made the veteran QB such a dynamic winner in Seattle. However, with Wilson acquired before the Walton-Penners gained ownership of the Broncos and Payton being the new hire, it shouldn't be all that surprising that if the relationship between QB and coach doesn’t result in improved play and wins, then it would be Wilson who would be gone and not Payton.
While Wilson was brought in as the face of the franchise last season, a year with exceedingly disappointing results quickly turned his “let’s ride” slogan into the common refrain within Broncos Country of "let's hide." Last season’s failure is not all on Wilson, given the injuries and coaching incompetence surrounding the team, but he shoulders a fair portion of the blame.
Make no mistake; this is now Payton’s team. While quarterbacks and players will almost always have more celebrity in the general zeitgeist, this ownership group picked Payton. He is now the man in charge of getting the Broncos back on track and fixing Wilson.
For everyone’s sake, let’s hope that Wilson can be rejuvenated under Payton and the entirety of the timeline PPM (post-Peyton Manning) and PSP (pre-Sean Payton) can be flushed from Broncos Country’s collective memory.
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