Two Reasons Broncos Shouldn’t Sell the Farm For Sean Payton
Nearly everyone has Sean Payton high on the list of head coaching targets for the Denver Broncos. The team needs someone who can come in and turn around the fortunes of this once-great franchise, and Payton has proven success in the NFL.
It will take a significant offer to Payton and the New Orlean Saints to get him on the sidelines in the Mile High City. However, before the Broncos do that, they should consider two items that weigh on Payton’s character.
Bounty-gate
Bounty gate may be old news to some, but it isn’t so long ago that it should be completely forgotten. It was a massive scandal, and for a good reason. As the head coach and leader of the Saints, Payton oversaw a bonus system that rewarded players for injuring opposing players.
The mastermind of this dubious scheme was then-Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, but as the head coach, Payton should have immediately put a stop to this wicked plan, but he did the opposite. The investigation revealed that Payton knew about the bounties and tried to cover it up.
This is a massive character flaw. Payton allowed incentives to injure other players. Think about that for a moment. His character is such that he was just fine with ending another person’s career or, worse, for his success on the playing field.
This was not 1970. It happened less than 15 years ago. Payton was suspended for a season, and some would say that he served his “sentence,” but that doesn’t change one’s character, especially when he was back on the field like nothing happened the following season.
Payton’s Retirement
It isn’t the fact that Payton 'retired' while still under contract to coach the Saints that should give pause. It's the nature of his retirement.
First and foremost, Payton didn’t retire with the notion of sitting in a rocking chair on his front porch to enjoy his old age. He had every intention of returning to the sidelines as a head coach. He retired because he wanted out of a mess he had a hand in creating.
Future Hall-of-Fame quarterback Drew Brees had retired, and his replacement, Jameis Winston, suffered a significant injury. Payton saw that he had no quarterback for the future.
Furthermore, the Saints found themselves in salary cap hell because they made poor decisions trying to get that last Super Bowl with Brees. Payton saw a sinking ship, so he abandoned it as quickly as possible, knowing full well he wasn’t actually retiring. He didn’t want to honor the contract he had signed if the team was going to struggle.
Bottom Line
Payton is an excellent head coach, as his record and Super Bowl ring would attest, but there are candidates who could have as much success without the massive character concerns. The Broncos would not only have to give him an enormous contract, but they would also need to send draft picks to the Saints for his rights.
If the Broncos want to sell the farm, they should go after Jim Harbaugh. He may sometimes be hard to work with, but he is a proven winner in both the NFL and NCAA and would be able to turn this team and Russell Wilson around.
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