Former Pro Bowl RB Plans to Join Broncos' Coaching Staff

He's set to reunite with Sean Payton.

Jan 11, 2014; Seattle, WA, USA; New Orleans Saints running back Darren Sproles (43) runs the football against the Seattle Seahawks during the first half of the 2013 NFC divisional playoff football game at CenturyLink Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images | Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

Former Pro Bowl running back Darren Sproles confirmed in an interview with Kay Adams on Thursday that he plans to accept a role on the Denver Broncos' coaching staff in 2026.

Set to work as an intern, Sproles will reunite with former Saints and current Broncos head coach Sean Payton, who'd been recruiting the ex-longtime NFL back to the Mile High City.

"Sean has called me about it, and I think I'm going to take him up on it," Sproles said on the Up & Adams Show. "I feel like my next calling is to coach. With me starting high school coaching a little bit — I'm loving it. [The NFL] is my next calling. I just love the day-to-day grind of preparation. That's what I feel like I'm missing."

NFL legend Darren Sproles tells us he plans to accept a role as a coaching intern on the Broncos' staff 👀@DarrenSproles | @Broncos | @heykayadams pic.twitter.com/2AJBlcjdGg

— Up & Adams (@UpAndAdamsShow) November 6, 2025

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He's Got the Resume

The 130th overall pick in the 2005 draft, Sproles spent his first six seasons with the Los Angeles Chargers before linking up with Payton in New Orleans for three years, and then finally finishing out his NFL tenure with the Eagles, winning a Super Bowl in 2018. He's spent part of his post-playing career as a personnel consultant for Philadelphia.

All told, Sproles registered nearly 8,400 yards from scrimmage and 55 total touchdowns across 183 games — as well as 11,313 return yards and nine return TDs — for the three aforementioned organizations. He was a second-team All-Pro in 2014, a three-time Pro Bowler from 2014-16, and a member of the NFL 2010s All-Decade Team.

News of Sproles, 41, joining Denver's staff was initially broken by Payton back in August.

"There was something about fricking Darren Sproles," he said, via Yahoo! Sports. "When I tell you this, and I just spoke to him. He's coaching now, all right, and he's reached out, and he wants to get into it at this level, and he's going to do an internship for us next fall."

Sep 8, 2019; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles running back Darren Sproles (43) celebrates after scoring a 2-point conversion against the Washington Redskins during the fourth quarter at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

His First Pupil?

Sproles told Adams that, when his hiring becomes official, he's particularly excited about working with Broncos RB Deuce Vaughn, a former Dallas Cowboys draft pick who signed to Denver's practice squad in September.

"I see a younger me," Sproles said of Vaughn. "His quickness, his speed, the way he is in space. I just want to tweak a couple of things from him, but I feel like he can have a long career — especially if he's in Denver with Sean."