Jerry Jones gushes over Sean Payton ahead of Cowboys showdown vs. Broncos

Sean Payton got his start as a coach in 1988 with San Diego State. He eventually made his way to the NFL, gaining notoriety with the Dallas Cowboys as the offensive coordinator under Bill Parcells from 2003 through 2005.

He turned his success with Parcells into his first head coaching job with the New Orleans Saints, where he worked from 2006 through 2021. After a year off, Payton joined the Denver Broncos, who happen to face the Cowboys this weekend.

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As is often the case when the Cowboys face off with Payton, Jerry Jones was asked about his relationship with the Super Bowl-winning coach, who was continually rumored to be someone Jones wanted to hire. Jones said there were several times he thought about Payton coming back to Dallas, but "it just never fit."

"Several times. It just never fit. He was never there when we needed to be thinking about making a change. The timing never fit," Jones said.

"There's no coach that we think any more of, respect any more, than we do Sean Payton."

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones on @1053thefan on if he ever used to think one day Broncos coach Sean Payton would be the Cowboys coach: "Several times. It just never fit. He was never there when we needed to be thinking about making a change. The timing never fit.

"There's no coach…
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) October 24, 2025

Sean Payton turned the Denver Broncos around in a hurry

Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton looks on from the sidelines during the second half against the Los Angeles Chargers. | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Payton briefly retired from coaching in 2022, but returned in 2023 to take the Denver job. To make that happen, the Broncos had to send a 2023 first-round pick and a 2024 second-round pick to the Saints for Payton's rights. New Orleans also threw in a third-round pick.

Denver was 5-12 the year before Payton's arrival, and hadn't had a winning season since 2016. He quickly had them playing at a respectable level, going 8-9 in 2023. They were 10-7 last year and are now 5-2 entering Week 8.

Jones always knew Payton was capable of getting the job done, which is why he's always been connected to Dallas. This weekend, Jones' new favorite coach, Brian Schottenheimer, will get a chance to one-up Payton and prove who is superior.

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