Liam Coen Comment Hints Sean Payton Has Something Special in Store for Jaguars

The Denver Broncos have to be as motivated as it gets heading into Week 2.

Not only are the Broncos coming off a humiliating loss in Kansas City, but the same Jacksonville Jaguars team that beat them 34-20 at Mile High late last season is coming to town for Sunday's matchup. The Broncos are looking for victory and revenge.

Ahead of Week 16 last year, Jaguars head coach Liam Coen seized on Sean Payton's remark that Jacksonville was a "smaller market" team that deserved more attention than it was getting, using it as pre-game bulletin-board material to hype up his team. After the Jaguars beat the Broncos, Coen took the opportunity to dunk on Payton and the Broncos at the post-game podium.

"Just thankful that a small-market team like us can come into a place like Mile High and get it done," Coen said after beating the Broncos.

Fast forward to the present, and neither head coach is playing up the revenge angle publicly. Both have downplayed the notion of there being any "beef" between them.

'I'm Coming for You'

Sean Payton hollers during Broncos-Chiefs. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

On Wednesday, Coen recounted a run-in with Payton at the NFL owners' meetings last March that made it clear Denver's head coach hasn't forgotten the "smaller market" comment or how Week 16 shook out.

"I talked to Sean at the [owners'] meetings [last March], and he gave me a little love for it, but he said, 'I'm coming for you this year,'" Coen said on Wednesday with a smile. "But it's great. It's all in competition."

Sean Payton joked to Liam Coen "I'm coming for you this year" at the NFL's owner's meeting, Coen said.

Coen said he's modeled some of his play-calling after Payton. Said he's learned a ton from #Broncos coach. Last year obviously had the "small-market" drama lol. pic.twitter.com/rsduG635Sa
— Sam Jane (@sam_jane230) September 16, 2026

Payton's comment could put the Jaguars on notice, although, after Denver's pathetic debut on Monday night, perhaps Coen and company aren't too worried about Week 2's matchup. Coen has already proven that the Jaguars can go into hostile territory and make a statement win against the Broncos, but doing it again won't be easy.

With the Jaguars blowing out the Cleveland Browns and the Broncos getting trounced by the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 1, Payton will be looking to refocus his team and get back on track, so indulging in any further pre-game sportsmanship with Coen is unlikely.

“I saw him at the Combine, it might’ve been the owners meeting," Payton said of Coen on Thursday when asked about the "smaller market" storyline. "He’s doing a good job."

Payton may have ruffled Coen's feathers the last time the Broncos and Jaguars met. However, Coen sounds grateful for the direction and education he's gotten from Payton at different points in his coaching career, especially before he earned his first head-coaching job in Jacksonville.

"I've learned so much football from Sean Payton," Coen said. "When we're at the owners' meetings, you just listen to the stories, and a lot of it is insightful. You can learn something from every conversation with him because of his experience, and a lot of the ways that I've typically modeled calling plays stems from what I learned from him."

Coen's praise for Payton's play-calling expertise is ironic, given that Davis Webb is now calling the Broncos' offense. Payton handed Webb the play-calling duties this past offseason, after promoting him to offensive coordinator in hopes of keeping him in Denver.

Alas, Webb struggled mightily in his first NFL game as a play-caller, with Bo Nix and the Broncos' offense looking shockingly inept against Steve Spagnuolo and the Chiefs. That could change this week against the Jaguars, though.

Payton and Coen seem to have smoothed things over, but that won't stop the Jaguars from licking their chops at the chance to attack what appears to be a wounded beast. At the same time, though, Payton's a savvy old head who's seen it all in the NFL, and he's experienced embarrassing setbacks before, only to rebound and remind everyone of exactly who he is.

Payton told Coen that he's coming for the Jaguars this year. Right now, it feels like Payton will be attempting that from a less advantageous position because of how the season opened, but Coen would be remiss to underestimate the Broncos' veteran head coach.

Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence watched the Broncos' performance against the Chiefs and has surely studied the tape. He's likely feeling confident heading into his head-to-head battle with Nix, who looked more than a little shaky in his first game back since breaking his ankle in the playoffs.

That's exactly where the Broncos want Lawrence, Coen, and the Jaguars. Let them sleep a bit on the Broncos, and look past them — to their own peril.

The Takeaway

Coen might be content to remain diplomatic in the build-up to this key AFC battle, but it wouldn't be a surprise if he's still using Payton's "smaller market" comment from last year as bulletin-board material. And you can rest assured that Coen is using Payton's "I'm coming for you this year" promise.

The game within the game can be equally compelling in the NFL. It will be interesting to see what these two head coaches have in store for each other on game day.

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