Broncos HC Sean Payton Snubbed From Elite PFF List

Pro Football Focus just dropped its top-10 NFL head coaches of 2023 list, and Sean Payton was omitted. Although Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid predictable checked in at the top spot after winning his second Lombardi Trophy, it still rubs salt into the wounds of Denver Broncos fans.

Such lists are specifically designed to fill space during the dead time of the NFL offseason while also provoking some heated online discussions. That second objective achieved, searching for the rationale for leaving Payton off the esteemed list of NFL head coaches is all that's left to analyze.

We can safely assume that, given Payton's Super Bowl-winning track record with the New Orleans Saints, he would be a shoo-in — if he hadn't taken a voluntary one-year sabbatical from coaching. Coaches who were still compiling wins last season were clearly prioritized by PFF, and that's understandable.

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PFF's Trevor Sikkema said himself that he had "plenty of good candidates to choose from" when compiling the list. Broncos fans could argue that because Payton is an active head coach now, he should have been ranked based on his past achievements, but until he secures a few new Orange and Blue pelts for his wall, he's on the outside looking in.

However, the Broncos' head coach is unlikely to lose any sleep over PFF's omission, especially after his recent comments about the ubiquitous offseason lists and rankings.

"It seems like every day on Twitter, we are grading something," Payton said earlier this month.

All that's really left is for Payton to get back on the horse and start writing a new chapter on winning football. Motivation comes in many shapes and forms, and for players, in particular, being left out of this or that NFL ranking or list often provides motivation.

On the flip side, most experienced head coaches like Payton pay little or no attention to all the media hyperbole that dominates the Twitter universe. Therefore, Payton will no doubt be unperturbed by the cold shoulder he received from PFF, and as he works sets about the business of building a winner in the Mile High City.

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