Sean Payton on Zack Grossi's Comeback from Cancer: 'It's Inspiring'

Zack Grossi is officially cancer free and back at his post as the Denver Broncos' pass game specialist. Grossi was diagnosed with a yolk sac tumor in October of 2024 and although he had to deal with several setbacks, he's now cancer free and was out on the field for the Broncos' offseason training program.

Broncos head coach Sean Payton is glad to have Grossi back, on many levels, and found inspiration in his assistant's victorious bout with cancer.

“Fantastic. Awesome. It’s nice to see his hair, too," Payton said of Grossi on June 12. "He looks better when he has hair. His story—he had a tough year, but he’s a fighter. It’s inspiring.”

Grossi returned to help the Broncos break down the huddle in the team's Week 11 win over the Atlanta Falcons on November 17. He officially returned to the booth for the Wildcard Round of the playoffs.

The Athletic's Nick Kosmider had a phenomenal feature on Grossi's fight with cancer. We learned how the Walton/Penner ownership group went the extra mile to help out with a multitude of things for the family, including customized meals, Broncos cut-ups, and they even booked hotel reservations and helped with travel for the Grossis, among other things.

Broncos co-owner and CEO Greg Penner and his wife Carrie Walton Penner were in constant contact with Grossi family, sending support and encouragement through Zack's bout with chemotherapy and cancer treatment.

"It's not realistic in this profession, but I hope I can work for Greg and Carrie [Walton-Penner] for the rest of my life," Grossi said via Kosmider. "That's the only way I can scratch the surface of beginning to repay them for what they did for me."

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Grossi now enters his fourth season with the Broncos and his second as the passing game specialist. Originally joining the team in 2022, he received a promotion to passing game specialist last season, and only a few months later, was diagnosed with cancer. It was heartbreaking at the time, but he battled through to prevail.

On Grossi's watch, the Broncos have posted 76 total receiving touchdowns, which are the 13th-most in the NFL over his three years with the club. 51 of those touchdowns have been caught by Broncos wide receivers, which is tied for the 11th-most in the league. The Broncos have totaled 11,381 passing yards over that span.

Quarterback Bo Nix set a rookie franchise record with 3,775 passing yards and 29 touchdowns in 2024. It was a great step forward for the Broncos' passing offense, but they're poised to take a quantum leap in 2025.

Earlier this offseason, the Broncos promoted quarterbacks coach Davis Webb to pass game coordinator. He garnered outside interest in the NFL hiring cycle, but the Broncos were able to retain him with a little promotion. Webb will also continue to serve as the quarterbacks coach, while having a much more hands-on role in the in-game coordination of the Broncos' passing attack.

Offensive line coach Zach Strief garnered a similar promotion, becoming Denver's run game coordinator. Like Webb, Strief will maintain his role as O-line coach while helping to coordinate the ground attack in-game and from a game-planning perspective.

As Payton said, Grossi's story is inspiring. Dealing with a health scare of the 'Big C' magnitude isn't easy for any family, but with the support of the franchise, he's been able to beat the cancer into remission.

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