The Denver Broncos made National Football League headlines on Thursday when they signed head coach Sean Payton of San Mateo, California to a five-year contract according to Bobby Kownack of nfl.com. The Broncos are coming off an impressive 2026 NFL regular season where they won the AFC West with a record of 14 wins and three losses.
Denver was actually tied with the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots for the best regular season record. In the postseason, the Broncos reached the AFC Championship, before losing 10-7 to the Patriots.
Payton has spent the last three seasons coaching the Broncos. In 51 games, the Broncos have a record of 32 wins and 19 losses for a winning percentage of .627.
Prior to coaching the Broncos, Payton had an unbelievable run coaching the New Orleans Saints. In 241 games from 2006 to 2021, the Saints had a record of 152 wins and 89 losses for a winning percentage of .631. The Saints also won the 2010 Super Bowl as New Orleans defeated the Indianapolis Colts 31-17 in Super Bowl XLIV.
Over the years, Payton has had success because he has had an effective quarterback. First it was Drew Brees of Dallas, Texas, and then it was Bo Nix of Arkadelphia, Arkansas.
There is no doubt that Payton could coach the Broncos for the next five seasons. However, if the Broncos struggle, Payton could be fired at any time. The coaching position in the NFL is very unstable. Just because Payton signed the contract, does not guarantee that the Broncos are committed to Payton coaching them through to 2030.
