The Broncos have requested and received permission from the Saints to interview coach Sean Payton for Denver’s head coach job, Payton confirmed on “Fox NFL Kickoff” Sunday morning. Here’s what you need to know:
- Payton said he “was able to have a conversation with (Denver’s) owner,” but acknowledged the interview can’t take place until Jan. 17.
- The Broncos fired former head coach Nathaniel Hackett on Dec. 26 after going 4-11 in his first season.
- Payton stepped down as the Saints coach on Jan. 25, 2022 after his 16-year career at helm in New Orleans. The team went 9-8 last season with Payton on the sidelines, barely missing the playoffs after starting four different quarterbacks.
- Denver also plans to interview Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh, The Athletic confirmed. That was first reported by NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
- Meanwhile multiple league sources told The Athletic that the Panthers are no longer engaging with Harbaugh on their permanent head coaching position.
The #Saints want a first-round pick and more. Denver knows this. And is still in the game. https://t.co/zs5p7j9oTh
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 8, 2023
The Athletic’s instant analysis:
Why Payton would be appealing for the Broncos
After hiring three straight first-time head coaches, it is no surprise the Broncos are beginning their search with candidates who have held the position in the NFL before. Payton won a Super Bowl with the Saints after the 2009 season, and other coaches who could be candidates — Harbaugh and Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn — have also reached the league’s championship game as head coaches.
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The Broncos are seeking a head coach with a strong voice who can begin building a new culture for a team that has been among the NFL’s worst since winning the Super Bowl in 2015. Payton went 161-97, including playoffs, during 15 seasons as the head coach in New Orleans. He led the Saints to the postseason nine times during that stretch and won the NFC South seven times.
Of particular interest to the Broncos would be Payton’s work with quarterback Drew Brees, who became one of the NFL’s all-time most prolific passers once joining forces with Payton ahead of the 2006 season. Though Brees and Russell Wilson, the current Broncos quarterbacks, are different stylistically, they are of similar stature, both measuring under 6 feet. If Payton could communicate a clear plan for helping Wilson bounce back from his worst career season in 2022, it would only further the intrigue the Broncos clearly already have in the 59-year-old by virtue of his past success as a head coach. — Kosmider
What would it take from a compensation standpoint for the Broncos to land Payton?
Because Payton is under contract with the Saints through 2024, New Orleans will be seeking compensation from any team seeking to hire him. That is likely to mean a package of multiple draft picks or even current players. Financial compensation could also be in play.
The Broncos do not have their own first-round pick in 2023, having surrendered it to the Seahawks last March in the trade for Wilson. Denver will have a pick late in the first round of the upcoming draft, which was gained in November when it traded outside linebacker Bradley Chubb to the Dolphins. (Miami obtained said pick from the 49ers in a previous trade.)
Denver will again have its full allotment of picks beginning in 2024, and the draft capital they would be willing to offer would provide a window into how confident the new ownership group would be that Payton could help the team dig out of one of its worst periods of losing in franchise history. — Kosmider
Why Harbaugh would be a good fit in Denver
After hiring three straight first-time head coaches who failed to produce a winning record in any of their six combined seasons, previous head-coaching experience is almost certainly a prerequisite in the eyes of Denver’s new ownership group. Harbaugh’s success with the 49ers — a 44-19-1 record and a stretch of three straight NFC championship game appearances — would certainly be appealing to a franchise that hasn’t reached the playoffs since 2015.
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There is also the Stanford connection. Broncos CEO Greg Penner and his wife, co-owner Carrie Walton Penner, both attended graduate school at the university. Limited shareholder Condoleezza Rice, who is part of Denver’s search committee, also has deep ties to Stanford, where Harbaugh coached from 2007 to 2010. Rice recently helped Stanford conduct its search for long-time coach David Shaw’s replacement.
Penner also noted in his media address last month following the firing of Nathaniel Hackett that he was looking for CEO-type qualities in the team’s next head coach, who will report directly to Penner. That would be a box checked by Harbaugh, who has spent the past 19 seasons as a head coach at the college or pro level.
“I’ve worked with a lot of great CEOs, and it starts with really strong leadership,” Penner said on Dec. 27. “That’s going to be the most critical factor here in a head coach. Obviously, the X’s and O’s are important, but we need a strong leader for this organization that’s focused on winning. That starts with culture. It’s instilling a sense of accountability and discipline. We need an identity on offense. At the starting point, it has to be about culture and leadership. Those characteristics are what we’ll be focused on the most.” — Kosmider
Required reading
(Photo: Andrew Wevers / USA Today)