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The Denver Broncos are hoping that they have found their head coach of the future. The 2022 Nathaniel Hackett experiment didn’t pan out, so the franchise altered course and brought in veteran head coach Sean Payton to lead their team in the ever-competitive AFC West.
Expectations are high for Payton, and his salary reflects that. Denver made him one of the highest-paid coaches ever, with a yearly salary falling somewhere between $17 million and $20 million, per 9News and NBC Sports. Initially, it was expected that Payton was asking for between $20 million and $25 million per season.
This will be the second head coaching gig of Payton’s career. He was the head coach of the New Orleans Saints from 2006-2011 and then again from 2013-2021. Payton missed that one season due to a suspension from the NFL for a bounty program established to deliberately try to take out players from 2009 to 2011. After retiring following the 2021 season, Payton became an NFL analyst for Fox.
Across his coaching career, Payton amassed a 152-89 regular season record and a 9-8 postseason record. The Saints made the playoffs nine times during his 15-year tenure, bringing home the Lombardi Trophy at Super Bowl XLIV. Denver is coming off a 5-12 season and hasn’t had a winning record since finishing 9-7 in 2016. They last reached the playoffs in 2015 when they won Super Bowl 50.