The first season of the Russell Wilson experiment failed in Denver, as the Broncos fired head coach Nataniel Hackett before the end of the year.
According to the NFL rumor mill, Denver could be looking at former New Orleans’ Saints’ head coach Sean Payton as its next hire.
To do so, the Broncos will have to make Payton one of the NFL’s highest paid coaches.
Jeff Duncan recently reported that in order to lure Payton away from the broadcast booth, teams will have to pay Payton between $20-$25 million per year for four years.
Will the Broncos make a deal to hire Payton?
Sean Payton is believed to be looking for a contract in the $20 million-to-$25 million-a-year range over four years, per @JeffDuncan_.
The Broncos wouldn't have any issue paying that if he's their guy.
— Zac Stevens (@ZacStevensDNVR) January 18, 2023
Broncos Lead List of Potential Suitors for Payton
The Denver Broncos endured a challenging season in 2022, finishing in last in the AFC West with a 5-12 record.
Now, the Broncos are hoping to turn things around in a hurry by making changes to their coaching staff.
Leading the list of candidates, head coach Sean Payton is among the frontrunners to land the job. Payton has already been linked to several teams around the league, including the Arizona Cardinals, Carolina Panthers.
However, Payton’s $20 million asking price is quite steep, leaving only a shortlist of teams that could potentially land the former Super Bowl champion.
Backed by the Walton-Penner family, the Broncos are home to one of the wealthiest ownership groups in the NFL and they have already proven that they aren’t afraid to hand out big contracts.
With a potential franchise quarterback under center and an improving defense on the other side of the ball, Denver could turn out to be the ideal landing spot for one of the NFL’s best offensive geniuses.
Payton is currently an NFL analyst on Fox Sports but he is reportedly seeking a four-year deal worth $20-$25 million annually to return to the sidelines. Although coaching salaries aren’t made public, the new deal would make him among the highest paid coaches in the NFL.
While there are few teams in the hunt, it seems the Broncos have the best mix of talent and money to satisfy Payton’s salary demands and his itch to win. According to the best NFL betting sites, the Broncos have the best odds to land Payton at +175.
New Orleans Saints Still Have Rights Over Payton
In 2022, Payton retired from the NFL after 16 seasons.
Currently, the New Orleans Saints have Payton’s contractual rights, meaning any team intending to hire him would need to create a trade package to the Saints.
That means if Denver were to hire Payton, it’s going to take more than just money to get the job done. The Broncos already gave away several draft picks in the Russell Wilson deal, so it will be interesting to see how much the front office is willing to give away to acquire the rights to hire Payton as head coach.
It’s been 17 years since the last NFL coaching trade happened in 2006. The Kansas City Chiefs sent the New York Jets a fourth-round pick for Herm Edwards.
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