Ex-Broncos WR Emmanuel Sanders Makes Bold Sean Payton Prediction

Former Denver Broncos wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders spent the 2020 season under the tutelage of Sean Payton in New Orleans. However, that was more than enough time for Sanders to learn that Payton has the right stuff.

Having the chops to be a Super Bowl-winning head coach matters, but going all the way with a new team in a new NFL city is another thing altogether. While Sanders is keen to give Payton enough time to turn the listing organization around, he also knows that it's only a matter of course before the Broncos will become winners again.

"What I expect from Sean is to win. And I know he will. That's not saying he will do it right now. But, the one thing I know about Sean being with the Saints is that he is one of best offensive coordinators I have ever had,” Sanders told Troy Renck of Denver7. “I like the confidence and swagger he brings to Denver. He’s a Hall of Fame coach and Denver deserves a Hall of Fame coach."

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It's become the worst-kept secret in the NFL that Payton has been hired to reboot Russell Wilson's spiraling career. Considering the vast investment the Broncos have tied up in the former nine-time Pro Bowler, Payton's offensive acumen is what CEO Greg Penner probably coveted the most.

Write off Wilson at your peril, however, because Sanders believes he saw enough late-season flashes to give Payton a real platform to build upon.

"When I look at his last three games, that’s the Russell Wilson I am accustomed to. The way he was scrambling, using his legs and making throws on the run. I was watching one game late in the season and he made a throw to Jerry Jeudy and I was like, 'That was special,'" Sanders told Renck. "That's what Broncos Country was expecting when he came. With Sean here, I feel like Wilson is going to pick up where he left off at the end of the year."

How much Wilson's debilitating injuries diminished his abilities last year can't be dismissed, so having him back fully healthy should be a massive boost for Payton. A big factor in the Broncos' ineptitude last season was the complete lack of locker-room discipline and cohesion under Nathaniel Hackett.

Much has changed in the chain of command already, with Payton quickly becoming the most authoritative voice in the building. Shutting out the outside noise has led to a temporary media blackout at Broncos HQ. That hasn't been done out of spite, surely, as Payton's mission is for the Broncos to get his message loud and clear with undivided attention.

Sanders fully expects that kind of crystal-clear tone-setting to translate to locker-room dynamics at Broncos HQ, as team chemistry is critical to forging an identity.

"He's a real one. He's not going to sugarcoat anything,” Sanders told Renck. “He's going to make sure he has real people in the locker room. I am telling you he wants to win and he knows how to win."

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