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Denver Broncos News & Rumors

Broncos, Interim HC Jerry Rosburg Part Ways?

January 25th, 2023 at 5:36pm CST by Ben Levine

Broncos interim head coach Jerry Rosburg recently threw his hat in the ring for the team’s full-time job, but the veteran coach won’t be sticking around Denver in any capacity. According to ESPN’s Field Yates (via Twitter), Rosburg has been let go by the Broncos and won’t be a part of the next coaching staff. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport seems to confirm (on Twitter) that Rosburg won’t be the team’s next coach, but he notes that today’s news is merely procedural and the veteran coach could be back in Denver next season.

[RELATED: Jerry Rosburg Interested In Remaining HC]

Rosburg was coaxed out of retirement last offseason to assist new Broncos head coach Nathaniel Hackett with in-game management. Hackett, of course, didn’t last the season, and after defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero declined to take on the interim HC mantle, the Broncos turned to Rosburg. In his new role, the veteran coach immediately shook up the coaching staff, firing special teams coordinator Dwayne Stukes and offensive line coach Butch Barry.

The team responded to the changes. After losing in blowout fashion to the Rams on Christmas, the Broncos took the Chiefs down to the wire before defeating the Chargers’ starters in the season finale. We heard that team executives were pleased with the interim head coach’s performance and let him state his case to remove the interim tag following the season.

Instead, the team will turn elsewhere for their next head coach. Earlier today, Troy Renck of Denver7.com wrote that 49ers defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans and former Stanford head coach David Shaw were “gaining momentum” for the head coaching job. We also heard yesterday that Sean Payton’s candidacy was losing steam in Denver, removing another candidate from the list (alongside Rosburg and Jim Harbaugh, who pulled out of the race after deciding to stick with Michigan). Evero ended up interviewing for the job a few weeks ago, and the organization later blocked the Falcons’ request to interview him for their defensive coordinator vacancy.

As for Rosburg, there’s a good chance the 67-year-old coach heads back to retirement. Rosburg has been coaching since the 1970s, and he got his first NFL gig when he was hired as the Browns special teams coordinator in 2001. He’d end up spending 18 years in the NFL prior to his first retirement, including a decade-long stint as the Ravens ST coordinator.

Ejiro Evero Set For Second Colts Interview

January 24th, 2023 at 6:19pm CST by Sam Robinson

Two offseasons ago, the Rams promoted Ejiro Evero from safeties coach — his role from 2017-20 — to their defensive backs coach. This offseason, two teams are seriously considering him for head coaching positions.

The Broncos’ defensive coordinator has made it to the finalist stage with the Texans and now the Colts. Indianapolis wants to bring Evero in for a second HC interview, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. The Texans plan to interview him for a second time Wednesday, setting up a tour of multiple AFC South facilities for the fast-rising DC.

This has been a remarkable stretch for Evero, and considering the Broncos’ situation, the one-year DC’s climb has veered toward unusual. Denver went 5-12 this year, with its decision to hire Nathaniel Hackett backfiring to the point the team ranked last offensively despite trading for Russell Wilson. Hackett brought in his longtime friend to be his right-hand man on defense, and Evero’s unit performed well despite injuries and the midseason trade of Bradley Chubb.

Despite firing acclaimed defensive maestro Vic Fangio, the Broncos improved in total defense — from eighth to seventh — this past season and ranked 10th in DVOA. While Denver is conducting its own HC search — after becoming the third team since the 1970 merger to fire a coach before his first season ended — Evero will have the chance to earn a top job elsewhere. The Broncos interviewed Evero but have been linked to preferring Sean Payton and Dan Quinn. Though, no Denver finalists have emerged yet. The Colts have been the only team not to set up a Payton interview.

Evero, 42, is the first known Colts finalist. Others will follow. Thirteen coaches have interviewed — all doing so virtually — thus far, and Pelissero adds Jim Irsay was not in any of these meetings (video link). Irsay will meet with each of the finalists in person. Considering Irsay’s outsized role in personnel moves over the past year, his presence in these meetings will be rather important — for both parties.

Broncos Sean Payton Hire Becoming Less Likely?

January 24th, 2023 at 2:18pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Broncos had scheduled a second Sean Payton interview for this week, but NOLA.com’s Jeff Duncan notes (via Twitter) the meeting is now on hold. Next on Payton’s docket will be interview No. 1 with the Cardinals, but chatter about the FOX analyst hopping off the 2023 coaching carousel to join a potentially flashier ride next year persists.

Payton will meet with the Cardinals on Thursday, per Duncan, who adds the delays in the longtime Saints HC’s schedule lend to the notion he will stay put and not coach in 2023. Payton’s initial Broncos meeting may not have gone as well as initially reported, either. Neither side looks to view this as a “must-do deal,” Jason La Canfora of the Washington Post notes. One GM said, via La Canfora, he expects Payton to stay at FOX for another year — a long-rumored path — and wait out potentially better jobs.

A Payton hire would be a blockbuster for the Broncos, who have struck out with first-time HCs in 2017 (Vance Joseph), 2019 (Vic Fangio) and 2022 (Nathaniel Hackett) and are believed to be prioritizing experience. But it would be expensive — both in terms of financial and trade compensation. A two-first-rounder haul has been floated, though some around the league believe a first-rounder and both of Denver’s 2023 thirds could be enough for New Orleans. The Saints would undoubtedly ask for a bigger return from Carolina, given the potential intra-NFC South jump in that scenario. The Broncos have been more closely connected to Payton compared to the Panthers, but The Athletic’s Joe Person adds Denver may no longer have the former Super Bowl-winning HC as its frontrunner (subscription required).

Considering what has come out on the Broncos’ HC search, it would surprise if the team passed on Payton. Russell Wilson reached out to the well-regarded play-caller, who, as of Monday, was still believed to have the inside track for the job. But the team has interviewed a host of other candidates, including Cowboys DC Dan Quinn, who was close to landing the job last year. If Payton does not have a substantial lead in this race, the Broncos backing off and hiring a coach they would not need to trade for would make sense. Then again, Payton is by far the most accomplished candidate available.

The prospect of Payton waiting out 2024 jobs continues to be discussed around the league, La Canfora adds. This will keep the dots connected to the Chargers and Cowboys positions, gigs Payton has eyed for several months. The Chargers announced intentions to retain Brandon Staley, despite a historic wild-card collapse, and the Cowboys do not look like they will be canning Mike McCarthy after back-to-back 12-win seasons. That said, ESPN.com’s Dianna Russini tweets a mystery team of sorts could lurk. Said team is observing this process and could make a move once it “gets [its] ducks in a row.”

Anonymous suitors notwithstanding, Payton will soon have interviewed for four of the five open positions this year. It is not known if an offer has come his way, but Panthers owner David Tepper was believed to be quite interested in this splashy hire heading into their meeting. Tepper’s reputation of being a “hands-on” owner might also impact Payton’s interest, Person adds.

The Texans, who hold two first-round picks (including No. 2 overall), are believed to intrigue the veteran coach. But buzz about the NFC championship game defensive coordinators — DeMeco Ryans and Jonathan Gannon — and this position is circulating as well, La Canfora adds. Gannon has long been connected to the Texans job, which he interviewed twice for in 2022, and Ryans spent the first six seasons of his playing career in Houston.

Texans Schedule Second HC Interviews With Mike Kafka, Ejiro Evero

January 24th, 2023 at 11:35am CST by Adam La Rose

Houston’s third consecutive offseason spent searching for a new head coach is heading into its next phase. The Texans are set to conduct a second interview with Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka, per ESPN’s Field Yates (Twitter link).

The 35-year-old met virtually with the Texans this past Sunday, one day after New York’s surprisingly successful campaign came to an end. Now, he is set to interview in person with Houston’s front office. Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 notes that the sit-down is scheduled to take place in Houston on Wednesday.

Kafka has enjoyed a quick rise up the ranks of NFL assistants receiving serious consideration for head coaching jobs. He was already a popular name in league circles last offseason when he left Kansas City (where he worked closely alongside Patrick Mahomes as the team’s quarterbacks coach) to join Brian Daboll‘s new staff in the Big Apple.

That represented not only his first OC opportunity at both the college and NFL level, but, to the surprise of many, his first time handling play-calling duties. Daboll’s time as Buffalo’s OC led to the expectation that he would carry on in a similar capacity with the Giants, but his decision to delegate to Kafka proved to be a successful one. New York put up middle-of-the-road numbers in terms of scoring and yardage totals, but ranked fourth in the regular season with an average of 148 rushing yards per game. The postseason saw New York continue that success against the Vikings, though their loss to the Eagles was certainly a different story.

Kafka is still a logical candidate for a second interview, as is Ejiro Evero. The Broncos defensive coordinator will also meet with the Texans’ brass tomorrow, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network tweets. The 42-year-old is, like Kafka, relatively inexperienced in terms of serving as a coordinator, with 2022 being his first DC gig, but his success has made him a hot commodity during this year’s cycle.

Evero has met with all five teams currently in need of a new head coach, illustrating the way he is viewed around the league. He led the Broncos’ defense to solid rankings in terms of yards allowed in particular, a testament not only to the unit’s talent and his coaching ability, but also his success in maintaining consistency in the wake of Denver’s offensive struggles. Evero has previously worked with the Rams, Packers, 49ers and Buccaneers at the NFL level, all-but exclusively seeing time on the defensive side of the ball.

After seeing David Culley and Lovie Smith each receive their walking papers after one-year stints, Texans owner Cal McNair recently indicated that he would take a more hands-on approach to the 2023 search. Adding either Kafka or Evero would provide the team with a much younger option on the sidelines, and presumably set the franchise up for long-term stability.

With the team’s set of second round interviews beginning to take shape, here is the latest on Houston’s HC search:

Ravens To Interview Justin Outten For OC Position

January 23rd, 2023 at 2:50pm CST by Adam La Rose

The list of candidates for the Ravens’ vacant offensive coordinator position continues to grow. Baltimore has an interview lined up with Broncos OC Justin Outten, per Mike Garafolo of NFL Network (Twitter link).

The Ravens had been linked to four other candidates prior to this news (Zac Robinson, Chad O’Shea, Dave Canales and Brian Angelichio), as the team searches for its Greg Roman replacement. The latter’s departure came as little surprise given the increasing calls for his firing which emerged during the season, but it created an intriguing vacancy given the uncertain future surrounding quarterback Lamar Jackson.

Outten, 39, followed Nathaniel Hackett to Denver last offseason as a familiar coach to help form his first Broncos staff. Things did not at all go according to plan, however, and Hackett failed to last the full season before being let go. Not long before that happened, he ceded play-calling duties to QBs coach Klint Kubiak.

However, Outten did call plays for the final two games of the season, the time in which Jerry Rosburg operated as Denver’s interim head coach. That brief stretch marked the first time the former was given such responsibilities at the pro level, as his NFL resume is relatively short compared to some other staffers around the league. Outten spent three years as Green Bay’s tight ends coach before what will likely be a one-and-done stint in Denver. He was an assistant with the Falcons in 2017 and 2018.

Despite his relative lack of experience, Outten has drawn interest in this year’s sizeable OC market. Both the Titans and Rams have requested interviews with him, although in both cases it was not specified at the time what position they were seeking to give him. Tennessee is looking for a new play-caller, but, given the news that Sean McVay is remaining in Los Angeles, the Rams are not.

In Baltimore, Outten would take on play-calling duties in the event he were to be hired at the OC level. The Ravens established themselves as a dominant run team during Roman’s tenure, but deficiencies in the pass game were prevalent both with and without Jackson in the lineup. That area is therefore expected to be a main point of focus in the team’s ultimate hire, though head coach John Harbaugh has maintained that a strong ground presence will still be relied upon moving forward. Whether Outten has a part to play in that could be revealed in the near future.

Sean Payton Expected To Meet With Broncos, Cardinals

January 23rd, 2023 at 1:51pm CST by Adam La Rose

The 2023 head coaching cycle continues to unfold, and the most coveted candidate remains at the center of the latest developments. Sean Payton continues to stand out as the presumed favorite for the Broncos’ vacancy, but his schedule will not be limited to Denver this week.

The former Saints head coach is set to meet with the Broncos in Denver for a second interview, as detailed by NOLA.com’s Jeff Duncan. That initial report was quickly met by others confirming that nothing firm has been scheduled for the Broncos and their coaching finalists as of yet, but in a follow-up, Duncan tweets that the 59-year-old will travel to Denver this Wednesday, suggesting he will interview that night or Thursday.

Payton – who is still under contract with the Saints, meaning a trade package must be agreed upon for him to take a new job elsewhere – has long been connected to Denver. After their Nathaniel Hackett hire resulted in a disastrous performance on offense in particular, the Broncos are expected to pivot to an experienced bench boss. Payton would certainly fit that bill, and bring a championship pedigree to the Mile High City.

It was reported last week that quarterback Russell Wilson spoke to Payton in an attempt to recruit him, something which would be helped by the Rob Walton-led ownership group comfortably being able to meet his salary demands (believed to in the $20-$25MM per year range). Duncan notes that, especially after the relative success of Payton’s first interview with the Broncos, interest between the two sides “appears to be mutual.”

In light of that, Denver7’s Troy Renck adds that Payton is widely believed to have the “inside track” for the Broncos’ position. As Renck notes, the Hackett hire was rushed by general manager George Paton last year in no small part by his looming Jaguars interview; taking a more methodical approach (including second interviews with a shortlist of finalists) has thus always been the intention of this year’s search committee.

Not long after New Orleans granted Denver permission to interview Payton, it was reported that the teams had at least a rough agreement in place on the trade compensation necessary to facilitate a move. Any package the Saints receive would include at least one – if not two – first-round picks, something which is particularly noteworthy in Denver’s case given the price they paid Seattle for Wilson last offseason. ESPN’s Jeff Legwold notes (on Twitter) that some around the league believe a package including the Broncos’ 2023 first-rounder (which will be no higher than 28th overall, given the 49ers’ win yesterday) along with one or both of their thirds would be necessary; Denver does not have a second-rounder this year.

Payton has, of course, drawn considerable interest from other teams as well. One of those is the Panthers, with whom he is expected to meet today. Another is the Cardinals, who were granted permission for an interview one week ago. Veteran Cardinals reporter Howard Balzer reports that Payton will meet with the team this Thursday (Twitter link). That news comes not long after Arizona confirmed the hiring of new general manager Monti Ossenfort, a move which widely expected to precede the arrival of a new bench boss.

It also, however, partially contradicts what had been reported above. In a follow-up, Balzer tweets that Payton’s Denver interview has been delayed, and that his meeting with the Cardinals will take place in Arizona. Between his sit-downs with the Panthers and Cardinals, along with interest shown by the Texans and, presumably, a second interview with Denver at some point, much remains to be determinized with respect to the biggest coaching domino on the current NFL landscape.

Broncos Interim HC Jerry Rosburg Interested In Remaining HC

January 22nd, 2023 at 6:01pm CST by Ely Allen

The Broncos terminated first-year head coach Nathaniel Hackett late into this season, naming senior assistant Jerry Rosburg to serve as the interim head coach in his stead for the two remaining games of the season. As Denver looks to find their head coach for the 2023 season, Rosburg has expressed his desire to be considered, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.

Rosburg has been coaching football in some capacity for at least the past 44 years. Despite his experience as a defensive position coach in the ranks of college football, Rosburg’s entire focus in the NFL has been on special teams. His first position in the league came with the Browns in 2001 as the team’s special teams coordinator, a role he kept for six years. After a single season in the same role with the Falcons, Rosburg took the special teams coordinator position in Baltimore, which would remain his home for the next 11 years.

In 2018, Rosburg decided it was time to hang up the whistle and announced his retirement from coaching. When Hackett was hired to lead the Broncos, Rosburg was brought out of retirement with the intention that he would assist Hackett in game management. When Hackett was fired, the interim job was originally offered to defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero, who reportedly declined the position out of loyalty to the former head coach.

As a result, Rosburg was given the interim role. Rosburg was not stagnant as head coach. He reportedly claimed that it was his decision to fire special teams coordinator Dwayne Stukes and offensive line coach Butch Barry. Rosburg also told the media that it was general manager George Paton who lured him out of retirement, not Hackett. During Rosburg’s two-game tenure, the team showed a new level of competitiveness, rebounding from a blowout Christmas Day loss to the Rams to take the Chiefs down to the wire the next week and defeat a playoff-bound Chargers team that inexplicably ran its starters for most of the game the week after that.

Rosburg is not considered a favorite for the job, according to Fowler, but his performance as the interim head coach was well-received by team executives, leading to them allowing a lengthy end-of-season meeting with the 67-year-old for him to state his case. The favorites are likely to remain former Saints head coach Sean Payton, Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, and former Stanford head coach David Shaw, but Rosburg’s success in a small sample size has at least earned him the courtesy of consideration.

Latest On Sean Payton

January 22nd, 2023 at 10:51am CST by Ely Allen

JANUARY 22: A league source tells Ben Volin of the Boston Globe that, since the Chargers’ head coaching job will not become available this year, the Panthers’ and Texans’ posts will be of most interest to Payton. In Volin’s opinion, the fact that Wilson called Payton to sell him on the Broncos’ job is not a good omen for Denver, and if Payton were to be lured to Houston, he may ultimately push general manager Nick Caserio out and take over as de facto GM. Both Houston and Carolina have the cash to pay Payton the salary he wants.

JANUARY 20: Payton’s Panthers interview has not been cancelled. He will meet with the team Monday, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. That will be the former Saints HC’s third interview in a week. He met with the Texans on Jan. 16 and Broncos on Jan. 17.

JANUARY 19: The Broncos search for their fifth head coach since 2014 has been rolling this week as the franchise moves quickly and effectively in their plans. Denver’s three-person team of Broncos CEO and owner Greg Penner, owner Condoleezza Rice, and general manager George Paton has been cruising through initial interviews with a potential plan to move one to three finalists forward for second interviews next week, according to Mike Klis of 9NEWS.

Most speculation is that a final three is emerging, similar to last year’s trio of finalists which consisted of Nathaniel Hackett, Kevin O’Connell, and Dan Quinn. The obvious frontrunner in his year’s search is former Saints head coach Sean Payton. Quinn is projected to join Payton as a finalist for the second straight year, while former Stanford head coach David Shaw is reportedly a sleeper candidate to round out the top three.

Payton interviewed on Tuesday and appears to have lived up to the hype in the meeting. Contradicting earlier reports that the Broncos and Saints were “on the same page” with respect to the trade compensation necessary to acquire Payton’s contract, Klis avers that the two parties “have not engaged in trade talks.” There is also a rumor that, despite interest from essentially every other team in the NFL with an open position, Payton will either end up with the Broncos or back on television with FOX, a belief reported by Denver7’s Troy Renck.

Payton was scheduled to interview with Carolina tomorrow, but those plans are “on hold” as Panthers owner David Tepper is spending time with the grieving players of his MLS team, Charlotte FC, following the passing of young defender Anton Walkes in a tragic boating accident today in Miami, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

Russell Wilson has reportedly reached out to Payton, according to Fox Sports’ Colin Cowherd who was quoted on his show saying, “Wilson has contacted Sean, legally, by the way, through channels. He wants Sean Payton. He needs fixing. He knows he needs fixing.”

Following their Tuesday morning meeting with Payton, the interview trio met with Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris who impressed them “with his preparation and plan to win.” The same three executives interviewed 49ers defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans today in San Francisco and will travel to Dallas for a meeting with Quinn tomorrow. This will conclude the initial interview process, and Denver will choose candidates moving forward out of the above-mentioned Payton, Quinn, Shaw, Morris, and Ryans and previously interviewed candidates Ejiro Evero, who is the team’s current defensive coordinator, and Jim Caldwell, who formerly served as the Colts and Lions head coach. The team also previously interviewed Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh, but Harbaugh announced his decision to remain in Ann Arbor.

Whomever the franchise decides to move forward with will meet with a new group of executives consisting of Penner, his wife and co-owner Carrie Penner Walton, and controlling owner Rob Walton. Paton will reportedly also be available to spend time with the final candidates and participate in follow-up discussions.

It’s certainly sounding like Payton will be one of the few to move forward next week as both parties sound hellbent on the union. That being said, Quinn is being considered a “co-favorite” and Shaw’s Stanford connections to the Penners and Rice make him a candidate to be brought in next week, as well. We’ll just have to wait through the weekend to see how the next round in the process unfolds.

Titans To Interview Charles London For OC; Titans, Rams Seeking Justin Outten Meetings

January 19th, 2023 at 1:22pm CST by Sam Robinson

Charles London‘s schedule is filling up. In addition to his Thursday interview with the Commanders, the Falcons’ quarterbacks coach will meet with the Titans, Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports tweets.

Tennessee is also interested in Justin Outten, though it is not certain the Denver OC is on the radar to replace Todd Downing. The Titans want to interview Outten for an unspecified staff position, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com notes (on Twitter). Nathaniel Hackett brought Outten over from Green Bay, making it unlikely he stays in Denver. Additionally, Pelissero tweets the Rams want to meet with Outten. Both the Rams and Titans are looking for an OC, but each team is requesting an Outten meeting for an unspecified job on their offensive staff.

[RELATED: Broncos Block Ejiro Evero From Falcons DC Interview]

London has been Atlanta’s QBs coach for two years, coming over shortly after Arthur Smith was hired, and has a history with the Titans. Although London’s roles as position coaches have come elsewhere, he stopped through Tennessee as an offensive assistant in 2011. That may be less relevant than London having spent two seasons working under Smith. The Titans have promoted their past two OCs (Smith, Downing) from within.

Outten went through a rather complicated year in Denver. Hackett attempted to interview Adam Stenavich and Jason Vrable, but the Packers blocked those moves. Those denials led to Outten’s Denver arrival. At the time, the Denver OC job was a non-play-calling opportunity. That changed down the stretch, with the embattled Hackett handing play-calling duties to QBs coach Klint Kubiak. This move bypassed Outten, who was previously the Packers’ tight ends coach. Outten, however, called plays during Denver’s final two regular-season games.

The Titans have already reached out to two Chiefs staffers — Eric Bieniemy and Matt Nagy — about the OC position. Because Andy Reid is the Chiefs’ primary play-caller, the Chiefs cannot block Bieniemy from taking the interview; the next Titans OC will call plays. More names should enter the equation soon, however.

The Rams’ OC search has not heated up yet, with Sean McVay recently indicating he will be back for a seventh season. An Outten hire for an unspecified position would be more interesting for the Titans, considering their play-caller is not yet in place. McVay is the Rams’ play-caller and has gone without an OC before.

Saints Seeking Two First-Round Picks For Sean Payton?

January 19th, 2023 at 9:26am CST by Sam Robinson

In the aftermath of the “Tuck Rule” game 21 years ago, the Buccaneers sent the Raiders a monster haul for Jon Gruden. Oakland collected two first-round picks, two second-rounders and $8MM in cash from Tampa Bay. Although the Bucs went on to win Super Bowl XXXVII a year later, their draft capital took a major hit when they replaced Tony Dungy with Gruden.

This trade has become relevant again, with Sean Payton on the market and Saints GM Mickey Loomis discussing his trade price with teams. While Payton said Loomis would likely ask for a mid- to late-first-round pick for his rights this year, NOLA.com’s Jeff Duncan points to the Raiders-Bucs trade. Loomis has told teams he wants a Gruden-esque package for Payton’s rights, with Duncan noting two first-round picks will be the starting point.

Should a team offer two first-rounders in future drafts, Duncan adds the Saints will want “higher mid-round picks” in the 2023 draft as part of the package as well. If the ante will be upped to this point, the HC-needy teams keen on hiring Payton will have more to consider. Though, the Broncos and Saints were reported to have agreed on compensation that includes a first-rounder and change already.

From the Saints’ perspective, such a haul would make sense. Four of the five HC-seeking teams have been connected to Payton, and he will have interviewed with three of them — the Texans, Broncos and Panthers — by week’s end. Payton is also expected to command a top-market coaching salary, as he has obvious leverage via the expanding market for his services and the option of staying at FOX for another year. Payton is seeking a four-year deal worth $20-$25MM per year, per Duncan. Judging by reports of the Broncos being set for an “ultra-aggressive” HC push and Panthers owner David Tepper being willing to give Payton “just about anything he wants,” the salary component here will be the lesser issue for teams.

The Broncos having just traded two first-round picks and two seconds for Russell Wilson certainly complicates their interest in meeting this asking price, though they did acquire a 2023 first-rounder in the Bradley Chubb trade. The Texans would be in better position to meet it, considering the Deshaun Watson swap armed them with three first-rounders. Houston holds two first-round picks and two seconds in the upcoming draft, but sending much of the Watson haul for a coach also would complicate the rebuilding team’s ability to stock its roster.

Payton said recently the Saints’ compensation would change “considerably” if this process is tabled to 2024, when just one season would remain on his contract. Loomis, however, has told Saints staffers he is comfortable waiting a year to trade Payton’s rights, according to Duncan. Teams in the Payton sweepstakes could attempt to test Loomis’ desire here, considering the Saints sent their 2023 first-rounder to the Eagles just before last year’s draft. But the Texans, Panthers and Broncos have fallen on hard times recently. The Saints’ potential push for a huge haul would attempt to capitalize on that while giving themselves a package that would help their now-Dennis Allen–led operation, which did not start especially well in 2022.

“It’s complicated because I have such great respect for him,” Loomis said of Payton last week. “He’s a close friend of mine. He’s a great coach. I want the best for him. I do. We do, collectively as an organization. But I also recognize that … his contract is a valuable asset to our club, and it’s our duty to maximize that.”

The Gruden ask is on the high end of the spectrum in terms of modern swaps for coaches. Bill Parcells cost the Jets first-, second-, third- and fourth-round picks in 1997; the Patriots received a package headlined by first- and fourth-rounders for Bill Belichick in 2000. Mike Holmgren cost the Seahawks a second-rounder in 1999; Herm Edwards cost the Chiefs a fourth in 2006.

Payton, 59, is believed to be 50-50 on coaching in 2023, potentially waiting out other jobs that might be available next year. That was believed to be Payton’s plan before this round of interviews started, but Duncan adds the Texans and Broncos meetings are believed to have gone well. The 16-year Saints HC was particularly impressed with Denver’s ownership group, though he is also intrigued by Houston’s draft capital and cap space. The Texans’ projected $40MM is projected to be among the top five entering the offseason.

Payton’s comfort level with the Broncos’ new ownership has been reported on multiple occasions, and the Rob Walton-fronted contingent would be able to pay top dollar in terms of salary. But the Broncos’ ability to build a team around Wilson would be greatly impacted by a two-first-rounder package. Dan Quinn has been mentioned as leading Denver’s non-Payton contingent; the Cowboys DC interviews with the Broncos on Friday.

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