Sean Payton Laments His Outburst, but it's Too Late for Dre Greenlaw

The Denver Broncos had it out with the NFL officials on Sunday's wild comeback win over the New York Giants. Sean Payton escaped with an in-game penalty, but Dre Greenlaw was suspended.

October 19, 2025: Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton can't believe a call in the first half of the football game between the Denver Broncos and New York Giants. | Derek Regensburger / IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire

While fans can split hairs about the influence Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton currently has over the offensive play-calling, how he sets the tone for his team is not up for debate. That includes when Payton gets a little animated and hot under the collar in-game, as he was on Sunday vs. the New York Giants when his on-field outburst following a Riley Moss pass interference call drew an unsportsmanlike conduct flag.

Payton was remorseful of his comportment after the game.

"That was silly. I just felt like—I'm close with a number of people on that crew. It just so happens that the last three times, the numbers haven't been good," Payton said. "I knew the [CB Pat] Surtain [II] penalty was wrong. So that's hard because it made it 1st-&-5. It led to their first score. It's happened one other time. I just wanted them to hear me (Laughs). You can't do that." 

Broncos flagged for defensive pass interference near the goal line, and Sean Payton picks up a personal foul 🤯 pic.twitter.com/dea5mYPQo8

— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) October 19, 2025

Where Payton leads, his team tends to follow, so perhaps we shouldn't have been surprised when Broncos' feisty veteran linebacker Dre Greenlaw confronted referee Brad Allen after Wil Lutz's winning field goal sailed through the uprights on Sunday as time expired. The NFL suspended Greenlaw one game for chasing and "verbally threatening" Allen.

Something caught my eye from Lutz's game-winning kick yesterday:

After the play, Dre Greenlaw runs after the ref, yelling at him, and the ref actually throws a flag.

It was after the play, and the game was over, so idk what happens.

Just a fine for Greenlaw? Something more? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/LqFTfPV0vV

— Alex Wilcox (@AlexWilcoxTV) October 20, 2025

Payton might well expect a fine this week. Unfortunately, though, Greenlaw's one-game unpaid suspension comes at a particularly inopportune time after he just made his Broncos debut on Sunday vs. the Giants after missing the first six games with an injury.  

Greenlaw's volatile outburst toward Allen appeared to be triggered by the referee pushing Broncos linebacker Justin Strnad (see video above). But we also have to wonder whether it was partially greenlit by Payton's own on-field intervention after that poor referee call on Moss almost cost Denver the ball game. 

Ironically, Payton's post-game confession that he has to keep his criticism to himself and find the positives came a little too late for Greenlaw. 

"I can't criticize the officials, but I can disagree with them," Payton said. "I can disagree with [CB] Pat Surtain II being offsides. I can disagree with... Now 4th-&-[19], that's one for tomorrow's deals. We have to learn from that because either way, two things happen: the first down is gained by the completion or, let's say it's incomplete, the first down is gained by the roughing. So that's one of the corrections, and one of the things that will be important to address tomorrow." 

Given how many fans felt the officiating crew seemed to do everything it could to help the Giants win on Sunday, with many ill-timed and poor judgment calls, some type of combustible reaction on the part of the Broncos may have been a matter of course. It could be that Greenlaw was simply standing up for a teammate, though, completely independent of Payton's penalty.

Greenlaw is an Alpha

The Broncos were hell-bent on taking a chance on Greenlaw's injury past because he was an alpha dog to the bone, the kind to make his new team far more intimidating and rugged in short order. You need only tune into Greenlaw's post-game comments to understand exactly what kind of uncompromising mindset he brings to the job. 

"That's how I play the game... football is the only place where you can go out there and hit people and not go to jail for it, so that's why I'm going to go out there and take advantage of it," Greenlaw said, via The Denver Post's Luca Evans on Sunday. 

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Broncos Close Ranks Around Greenlaw

Oct 19, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; New York Giants offensive tackle James Hudson (55) snaps the ball during the first half against the Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High. | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Unfortunately, the immediate consequence is that Greenlaw is unlikely to be available for this week's home game vs. the Dallas Cowboys, unless his appeal proves to be successful.

According to cornerback Patrick Surtain II, one thing's certain: the Broncos won't be piling on Greenlaw for bringing his fierce personality and legendary fire to proceedings. 

"He's a very passionate football player," Surtain said of Greenlaw, via DNVR's Zac Stevens. "Obviously, I don't think he means any harm. So, we're going to encourage him along the way throughout this process. But I know what he means in the heart. So, we're going to support him all the way." 

In the short term, being without Greenlaw for another game is a blow to the Broncos' quality of personnel that will be available for defensive coordinator Vance Joseph to defend against Cowboys star quarterback Dak Prescott. 

Even so, with Greenlaw chasing that referee on the heels of Payton's vociferous on-field display, it's probably safe to say that the Broncos' head coach will be much more mindful of his in-game behavior moving forward.