Sean Payton Gives Curious Answer to Chiefs Game Affecting Trade Plans

Being the Denver Broncos head coach and top personnel decision-maker can't be easy, but somehow, Sean Payton manages. Having cut his teeth in the Bill Parcells school of football psychology, with a minor in coach-speak, Payton knows his way around a podium.

But Payton still has to walk that razor's edge between balancing the demands of a front-office executive and actually leading and coaching the players in the locker room. With trade buzz swirling around Broncos headquarters, how does Payton maintain credibility with his players, some of whom have been linked in the NFL rumor mill, while juggling the harsh realities of the business side of football?

It's a pickle. So when Payton held court at Dove Valley on Wednesday and was asked if Sunday's game vs. the Kansas City Chiefs would influence whether the Broncos would be big 'sellers' at the trade deadline next Tuesday (October 31), the savvy head coach kicked the can down the road.

“Oh, no, no, no. It’s next week, I think, at some point," Payton said. "But no. I don’t think—no. We’re focused on winning with this group and these guys here. We went through this in the offseason, too. It’s the new cycle and it’s part of the deal. No, not at all.”

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

Payton is trying to highlight how multiple Broncos were linked to trade rumors this past offseason, none of whom were ultimately dealt. That list of names persists as the Broncos have limped out to a 2-5 start.

To wit: Jerry Jeudy, Courtland Sutton, Justin Simmons, Garett Bolles, and even the purportedly 'untouchable' Patrick Surtain II have been whispered in one form or another in league circles. There's also been a report that Payton would trade Russell Wilson if he could find a team willing to shoulder that albatross of a contract.

When it comes to balancing the demands of cultivating an NFL roster for the long haul and fielding a competitively credible team, it would seem that Payton errs on the side of the latter. After all, with the exception of linebacker Josey Jewell, who has also been rumored to be on the trade block, each of the Broncos in the "news cycle" Payton speaks of will be under contract next year.

Thus, Payton can ostensibly have his cake and eat it, too. Meaning the Broncos can keep all these players named in the rumor mill, push to compete as best they can in 2023, and still dangle them on the trade market in the 2024 offseason, except Jewell, who's in a contract year.

The only fly in that ointment would be the discrepancy in value between what these players could potentially net the Broncos now, in-season while the games are on the line, and in the offseason, when the urgency factor is significantly diminished. But honestly, that discrepancy probably isn't as great as you might fear.

Meanwhile, Payton is under the gun to deliver some results. He's in no way at risk of losing his job in Denver, but the Broncos' horrible start quickly ended Payton's honeymoon period with the fans and media.

He's feeling it. The 59-year-old coach looked like he's aged five years from the time he was introduced as Broncos head coach to the present moment.

Plus, Denver's schedule doesn't get any easier moving forward. Payton likely understands and accepts the reality of the Broncos needing a true rebuild.

But there's still plenty of time to stockpile capital for the endeavor of a rebuild. It can be done when the 2023 season is over and before next year's draft rolls around.

We'll find out soon enough. The Broncos host the Chiefs on Sunday, and the NFL trade deadline is the following Tuesday, which will afford Payton and company all the time they need to execute some trades.

Many insiders postured the Broncos as guaranteed sellers this year and foreshadowed a massive fire sale ahead of the trade deadline. Each minute that goes by makes that increasingly less likely.

But it is the NFL. The one thing Payton has maintained from the jump is that he'll always listen when the phone rings. Anything can happen. All it takes is the right offer at the right time.

Follow Mile High Huddle on Twitter and Facebook.

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