The Broncos have won the Sean Payton sweepstakes – but he may not have been their first choice.
Denver is sending its 2023 first-round pick and its 2024 second-round pick to the Saints for the Super Bowl winner to become their next head coach, according to ESPN. The Broncos will also receive the Saints’ 2024 third-round pick
This comes with NFL Network also reporting that the Broncos made a last-ditch effort on Tuesday to hire 49ers defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans. Denver needed to come up with compensation for Payton because the coach signed a contract extension with New Orleans in 2019 that ran through 2024.
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Ryans, who will be the Texans’ next head coach, recommitted to Houston and then Denver moved on to finalizing a deal to bring in Payton.
Payton, 59, will be asked to turn around a Broncos team that went 5-12 in 2022 and saw quarterback Russell Wilson struggle mightily in his first year in Denver.
Payton took a year off from coaching after the 2021 season with the Saints, spending 2022 working as an analyst for Fox Sports. He has a 152-89 career record in the regular season, reached the postseason nine times and won the Super Bowl in 2010.
Payton coached New Orleans from 2006-2021, missing the 2012 season because of Bountygate
He replaces Nathanial Hackett, who was fired 15 games into his first season as head coach and has since become the Jets’ offensive coordinator. Payton also interviewed with the Panthers, Colts, Cardinals and Texans. The Panthers hired Frack Reich.
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The Broncos were supposed to be a playoff team this season but saw their offense ranked last in points per game at 16.9 and 21st in yards per game at 325.
Former NFL coach Herm Edwards described Payton’s impending arrival as a “lifeline” for Wilson while speaking on ESPN’s SportsCenter.
Payton has been an offensive guru during his career and was able to get the most out of the aging Drew Brees during the final seasons of his career.
Denver is likely hoping for him to do the same with Wilson, who signed a seven-year, $296 million ($A420m) deal in 2022 after being traded from Seattle.
This article first appeared on The New York Postand was reproduced with permission.
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