The Broncos have locked up their brain trust for the long haul. After signing general manager George Paton to a five-year extension last month, the team has agreed to a new contract with head coach Sean Payton. He will join Paton in landing a five-year deal, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports. Paton and Payton are under wraps through 2030.
“Sean Payton has led an impressive turnaround over the past three seasons, instilling a winning culture with high expectations,” Broncos owner and CEO Greg Penner said in a statement announcing the agreement. “I appreciate the close partnership he shares with George Paton along with the alignment and stability across our football operations.”
The offensive-minded Payton has been one of the NFL’s most successful head coaches since he got his first opportunity with the Saints in 2006. Payton held the post in New Orleans for 15 years, during which the Saints went 152-89 in the regular season and earned nine playoff berths. In the greatest achievement of his career, Payton led the Saints to a Super Bowl XLIV victory over the Colts to cap off the 2009 season.
Three years after he hoisted the Lombardi Trophy, Payton served a season-long suspension in 2012 for the Saints’ Bounty scandal. That marred his tenure in New Orleans, but he stuck around for nine more years and guided the team to four seasons of double-digit wins along the way.
Payton stepped away after the Saints went 9-8 and missed the playoffs in 2021, though it was a short-lived exit from the sidelines. The Dolphins pursued a Payton-quarterback Tom Brady package in the subsequent offseason, but Brian Flores’ racial discrimination lawsuit (which is still ongoing) foiled their plans. A year later, Payton interviewed for head coaching jobs with the Broncos, Cardinals, Panthers and Texans. With the Saints still holding his rights, hiring Payton would have meant giving up compensation for his services. Denver ultimately ponied up for Payton, whom it acquired from New Orleans for a first- and second-round pick.
The Broncos were stuck in a seven-year playoff drought when they brought in Payton, who was unable to lead them to an immediate turnaround. Payton did not form a connection with former star quarterback Russell Wilson during an 8-9 showing in 2023. The Broncos were so down on Wilson that they released him in March 2024 at the cost of a whopping $85MM in dead money, which they spread over two seasons.
With Wilson out of the picture, the Broncos experienced a revival under rookie quarterback Bo Nix in 2024. Taken 12th overall in the draft, Nix teamed with a ferocious defense to help the Broncos go 10-7 and reach the playoffs for the first time 2015. The Bills knocked the Broncos out of the wild-card round, but Payton, Nix and the defense went on to make even more progress last season.
Not only did the Broncos end the Chiefs’ nine-year run atop the AFC West in 2025, but they earned the top seed in the conference on the strength of a 14-3 record. After a first-round bye, the Broncos got revenge on the Bills in a 33-30 overtime win in the divisional round. However, it was a Pyrrhic victory for the Broncos, who lost Nix to a season-ending ankle injury on the second-last play of the game. They hosted the AFC championship game a week later, but with backup QB Jarrett Stidham at the helm, their offense struggled on a snowy afternoon in a 10-7 loss to the Patriots.
Although last season did not end on a high note, the Broncos will enter 2026 on the shortlist of Super Bowl contenders. For the first time, though, Payton will not serve as his team’s primary offensive play caller. The 62-year-old handed off those duties to offensive coordinator Davis Webb, who is considered one of the league’s top up-and-coming assistants. With Webb’s help, Payton will continue to climb the all-time wins list this season. He will head into 2026 with 184, which ranks 13th. Payton will eventually become the ninth head coach to reach 200.