Payton Points to One Questionable Issue Limiting Marvin Mims Jr.

After Sean Payton stunned onlookers by announcing that he has relinquished the Denver Broncos' play-calling duties to offensive coordinator Davis Webb, he held court at the NFL Combine on Tuesday for almost an additional half-hour.

Over that time, Payton dropped some very interesting tidbits, including one remark about Broncos wide receiver Marvin Mims Jr. Considering how well Mims played in the playoffs, combined with how he similarly finished the 2024 season, people don't understand why he hasn't been more involved in the Broncos' offense.

Meanwhile, young wideouts like Troy Franklin and a rookie Pat Bryant seemed to take precedence on the receiver depth chart, and it didn't always correspond to the box score. According to Payton, he and his coaches are still working on finding that "balance" with Mims, who's also a two-time All-Pro returner.

“I would say we’re progressively… As you watch, and there’s that balance of snaps, but he’s been showing us that... I would sometimes say, look, the only one keeping him back sometimes would be just the rotation," Payton said of Mims. "Troy [Franklin] has done well in his second year."

Sounds like coach-speak to me. Bryant was a third-round rookie last year, and yet he out-earned Mims on a snap-count basis consistently.

The Broncos tried hard to will the Franklin Year 2 ascension into existence, and while he definitely took some major steps forward, he left much to be desired. Franklin still struggled with physicality at the line and drops too many passes.

The Broncos ranked second in the NFL last year in dropped passes, which we know irked Payton. And yet, we're still hearing coach-speak when it comes to Mims, who absolutely carried the offense at times during the playoffs.

"I go all the way back to that Cincinnati Saturday night game, and we got to see a real special performance," Payton said of Mims. "So we have to keep finding him those opportunities down the field. The right balance, of course.”

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The Clutch Gene

Broncos wide receiver Marvin Mims Jr. (19) reacts to scoring a touchdown as Bengals cornerback Mike Hilton (21). — Broncos wide receiver Marvin Mims Jr. (19) reacts to scoring a touchdown as Bengals cornerback Mike Hilton (21) and safety Geno Stone (22) look on with eight seconds left in the fourth quarter at Paycor Stadium on Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024. | The Enquirer/Albert Cesare / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Payton referenced Mims's two-touchdown performance in the Broncos' overtime loss to the Cincinnati Bengals late last season. Without Mims's epic second touchdown grab, which saw him sky over two Bengal defenders to come down with the ball in the clutch, the Broncos lose that game.

One of Mims's best attributes is that clutch gene. Bo Nix certainly has it, too, and together, they've conjured some Mile High Magic over the past two years, but not enough due to Mims's lack of playtime.

While Broncos Country agonizes over finding wide receiver upgrades in free agency and the draft, a phenomenal playmaker continues to languish on the roster. Then again, Webb taking over the play-calling could have an impact on the Broncos' downfield passing attack, and if so, that portends well for Mims.

As a 2023 second-round pick, Mims is entering a contract year. The Broncos will have to figure out whether they want to keep him around beyond 2026, and if so, in what capacity.

Wide receivers get paid a lot more than pure returners. And Mims is as aware of that as anyone.

Reading between the lines, it sounds like to me that Mims is simply far more valuable to Payton as a returner than he is a wideout. It took injuries to both Franklin and Bryant for Mims to get his shot in the playoffs, after all.

Let's be real. So either Payton comes to terms with that, or the Broncos bring in another returner to allow Mims's role to grow on offense.