Report Reveals When Sean Payton Might Allow Media Access at Broncos HQ

On Tuesday, the Denver Broncos weight room was open for business at the ungodly hour of 4.30 am as Phase 1 of the offseason training program began.

Before the sun had risen, Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson breezed past 9NEWS' Mike Klis on the sidewalk as he made his way into the building, but that should come as no surprise.

From the gutter today 9NEWS observed Dalrymple weight room appeared open for business at 4:30 am for Broncos offseason program opener. Among those passing thru before sunrise, Russ said hello to 9News man on corner. No media access for 1st time in yrs so gutter will do. #9sports https://t.co/QVWSkGxA3i
— Mike Klis (@mikeklis) April 11, 2023

Much work will need to be done to resuscitate the signal-caller's nine-time Pro Bowl career. Some might say that reading into highly paid athletes turning up to lift weights is akin to conjuring up stories from thin air.

The NFL offseason tends to drag just prior to the draft in late April, but that doesn't cloud the fact that there's still a relevant backstory at play in Denver. Head coach Sean Payton is committed to shaping and conditioning his player’s bodies, to make their OTA attendance really count.

Payton has gone on record to state that he believes his players need to get themselves in proper football shape first and foremost, prior to moving through the gears.

“There’s a progression, I think, when you train athletes," Payton said via Klis. "I think we’re too quick to move out of Phase 1 into football after three weeks of lifting and running. That’s not enough time."

Cutting off media access for Broncos players and coaches, Payton has sent a little bit of a shockwave through the Mile High City as OTAs begin. But as Klis wrote on Thursday, perhaps it's time for the Broncos to turn over a new leaf.

After one of the most embarrassing on-field seasons in Broncos history, new head coach Sean Payton is sending the message to his players, assistant coaches, team employees and everyone else associated with Denver’s NFL’s franchise that now is the time – at the very start of the offseason -- to focus on football responsibilities with a low-profile, hard-hat mentality and nothing but.

To wit: Learn how to win first, guys. Then you can start winning social media.

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Indeed, Payton's priorities have been revealed and, shocker: satisfying media demands isn't one of them. After all, not having enough time to prepare a professional football team is a common gripe among NFL head coaches every offseason. Amid the onslaught of ever-changing rules and restrictions on physical contact, coaches like Payton are working overtime to get their preparations down pat.

Klis goes on:

If all goes according to the current trend, the local media may not hear from Wilson, McGlinchey or any other veteran Broncos player until the start of OTAs May 23-25 -- when the NFL mandates the occasional press conference.

Until then, Payton has backed up his words with no words, no pictures and no video.

The Broncos’ public relations department captured the coveted Rozelle Award as the league’s top PR staff in the team’s most recent Super Bowl appearing seasons of 2013 and 2015, when it had to manage the heavy media attention and scrutiny that accompanies a deep playoff run. Suffice it to say the Broncos' media staff won’t be winning any awards this year.

Klis is coming to terms with Payton's approach. But it's not a particularly simplistic task to be undertaken. It's one where boiling everything down to hard work, conditioning, and diligent attendance can bear fruit for a team looking to climb out of the NFL doldrums, like the Broncos.

Wilson's first-in-and-last-out work habits worked fantastically well for him in Seattle, but certain perks he was afforded by Nathaniel Hackett made it look like he was simply putting on airs. Payton has bullishly opted to take away Wilson's private office and also banished his personal throwing coach from the Broncos' facility at Dove Valley. Setting a different tone right off the bat signals that everyone, regardless of their rank and file, must put their egos aside and ride on the same bus once again.

So, with time being of the essence for Payton, everyone pitching in and lifting weights together could be both refreshing and revolutionary, especially for a team that lost touch with its core football values rather badly last year.

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