Will Broncos GM George Paton Last Beyond January?

When the Denver Broncos hired Sean Payton, the status of GM George Paton was in question. During the hiring process, Payton was linked with a couple of former general managers, both of whom have a connection with the coach.

That didn't help Paton's status. Those two former GMs are Ryan Pace and Jeff Ireland.

Pace grew as part of the New Orleans Saints organization and was the director of both professional scouting and player personnel for the Saints when Payton was the head coach. Pace then got a shot to be the GM of the Chicago Bears from 2015-21.

There were a lot of questionable moves during that time. Pace is now the director of player personnel for the Atlanta Falcons.

As for Ireland, he was hired by the Saints in 2015. He was GM for the Miami Dolphins from 2008-2013, and before that, he worked with the Dallas Cowboys, where Payton also worked at the time. So there's a lot connecting these two to Payton, which doesn't help out Paton.

So how much time does Paton have? Many thought he would be fired after the NFL draft, but it always seemed he would get to the 2023 season. However, will he make it through the season, and if so, how much longer does he get?

Let's explore these questions.

What happens next on the Broncos? Don't miss out on any news and analysis! Take a second, sign up for our free newsletter, and get breaking Broncos news delivered to your inbox daily!

Unfortunately, Paton has been set up as the perfect scapegoat for the Broncos if things don't go swimmingly in 2023. Paton missed on his first head coach hire and made the trade for Russell Wilson, which has turned out terribly thus far for Denver. Paton has also handed out some questionable contracts.

Once Payton was hired, the GM lost much of his voice in the team's operations. The primary decision maker is Sean Payton, which was always going to be the case if he ended up taking an NFL head-coaching job. However, Paton had lost some of his power before Denver hired its new head coach.

During the 2022 season, the new Walton/Penner ownership group purportedly suspended his power to hand out contract extensions. That ended the chances of getting an extension done with Dre'Mont Jones before the 2022 season ended. Jones ultimately walked in free agency as the Payton coaching staff decided to go elsewhere.

Paton hasn't been a bad general manager. Have there been failures with his decisions? Of course, but find a general manager who hasn't failed at times (you won't be able to).

No one will make the perfect decision, signing, or draft pick every single time. Conversely, though, Paton hasn't been as great as many make him out to be. He's made a laundry list of bad decisions, not counting the hiring of Nathaniel Hackett.

So with Payton being the primary decision-maker now in Denver, does Paton last beyond January? It isn't very likely.

Payton seems ready to bring in one of the guys he knows and trusts fully. There's a reason it was said that Payton wanted to land in an NFL destination where he could bring in Pace or Ireland as the general manager, which is why many analysts doubted Payton would select the Broncos, in part.

Is Paton guaranteed to be gone? No, there are possibilities that could help save his job with the season barreling down. One of them is Russell Wilson showing his worth and limiting the negative impact of the terrible trade and contract extension.

Would a Wilson turnaround be enough? That the trade was awful; there's no getting around it — with Denver sending four top-50 draft picks, two of them ending up in the top-10.

Bottom Line

Paton could stick around, but it's probably better that he has his resumes updated and ready to send. If he is jettisoned, he won't be out of work for long.

Follow Mile High Huddle on Twitter and Facebook.

Subscribe to Mile High Huddle on YouTube for daily Broncos live-stream podcasts!