Report Reveals Two 'Names to Watch' if Sean Payton Spurns Broncos
The NFL head-coach hiring picture could crystallize any moment. All it takes is that first domino to fall.
When it comes to the Denver Broncos' list of candidates, that first domino could be Sean Payton opting to forego a return to the NFL coaching ranks and stick with his media job at FOX Sports. That's what Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer "guesses" will happen in his brand-new mailbag. And if that's how it shakes out, the two names to watch, per Breer, for the Broncos job are Dan Quinn and David Shaw.
I think Sean Payton will go back to Fox (and that’s a guess), and would have Dan Quinn and David Shaw as names to watch for the Broncos job.
It wouldn't be surprising if Payton ultimately opts to stay at FOX. However, Breer's assertion that Shaw could be one of the Broncos' two finalists is curious.
The former Stanford head coach is known for his pro-style offense and approach, and is well-respected, but he's coming off four straight losing seasons after starting his tenure off with a bang. Shaw mustered just 14 total wins over the past four seasons, which saw Stanford part ways at the end of the 2022 campaign.
But if the Stanford connection is the most important thing, perhaps that's why Shaw remains in the top running for the Broncos job. CEO and co-owner Greg Penner, as well as his wife Carrie Walton Penner, and minority owner Condoleezza Rice each have ties to Stanford, where they've crossed paths with Shaw, ostensibly.
Hiring Shaw wouldn't be the easiest PR sell, though. The Broncos are coming off seven straight seasons of missing the playoffs, the last six of which were losing seasons, and a college coach who presided over four forgettable campaigns in a row before being dismissed is going to be the team's savior?
Quinn, however, could be sold to Broncos Country. A former NFL head coach who led the Atlanta Falcons to a Super Bowl berth, Quinn's coaching profile has remained high because of the work he's done as the Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator.
When this head-coaching search began, reports leaked that the Broncos ownership group would prioritize previous experience. In other words, a candidate who'd been an NFL head coach before.
Quinn fits that bill, plus he has past ties to Russell Wilson. But Quinn is a defensive-minded guy, which means he'd have to hire the right team of offensive assistants to help usher Wilson out of his 2022 slump and back to NFL prominence.
Curiously omitted in Breer's mailbag remarks on the Broncos' head-coaching search is the name of DeMeco Ryans. The San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator is reportedly a "finalist" for the Broncos' vacancy, per Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.
Stay tuned.
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