Locked On Broncos - Daily Podcast On The Denver Broncos - LEGACY: Denver Broncos Super Bowl Win Could See Sean Payton Ride Off Into Sunset After 2026

Starting point is 00:00:00 The biggest pressure for Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton could be what happens if Denver wins a Super Bowl. You are locked on Broncos. Your daily Denver Broncos podcast. Part of the Locked on podcast network, your team every day. What's up, Bracko's country? I'm Cody York. Joined as always by Sarah Bedinger.

Starting point is 00:00:24 And on today's episode of the show, we're talking about the three biggest questions facing Broncos head coach Sean Payton going into 2026, including where his biggest pressure is for him this upcoming season. could his game management approach change after promoting Davis Webb to play caller? But we're going to kick things off by talking about a really exciting thing that could happen. If the Denver Broncos win the Super Bowl this season, could Sean Payton ride off into the sunset? We'll break it all down here on today's episode of the show. Sarah, I wanted to get your thoughts on this.

Starting point is 00:00:55 Obviously, as we're continuing this new coaching series where we're taking a look at some of the bigger picture things for every coach, how it impacts the players, scheme, personnel, the coach itself. Sean Payton is our subject here today. Three biggest questions facing him. And I think you and I talked about this a little bit towards the end of our Davis Webb episode yesterday, where we asked the question, could Davis Webb eventually take over for Sean Payton? Let's say if the Broncos win the Super Bowl, would Sean Payton ride off into the sunset, maybe go into a front office role, and could Davis Webb maybe be the heir apparent?

Starting point is 00:01:27 I think now we switch this focus to how this impacts Sean Payton because it is interesting, knowing how competitive he is. If the Broncos win the Super Bowl, could you see him riding off into the sunset in 2026? I could see it happening, Cody, because ultimately, like, professional athletes, coaches, you just don't get that opportunity to do that very often. I mean, I think the, I don't know what the exact saying is,

Starting point is 00:01:52 but it's basically something to the effect of, usually it happens a year too late, right? Where, you know, players decide to give it up or coaches decide to give it up. It just doesn't always work out to, you know, you win the Super Bowl and you ride off into that proverbial sunset and you get the opportunity to end on the highest of high notes. And for Sean Peyton, it would be making significant history, right? And we've talked about that on the show before, but he could become the first

Starting point is 00:02:18 NFL head coach to ever win a Super Bowl with two different franchises. And considering what he did, the history that he made with the Saints, I would say that in my opinion, the Hall of Fame is already very likely for Sean Payton. But, I mean, basically they'd have to start creating his bronze bust if he were to win a Super Bowl with the Denver Broncos because right now, and this is part of the thing, too, Cody, is that, I mean, I know Sean Payton's not like old for a head coach, but I think at the same time, you look at the situation with Bill Belichick and him being snubbed in his first opportunity to get into the Hall of Fame.

Starting point is 00:02:53 Obviously, there's some things that maybe, you know, behind the scenes go into that with some of the voters, but you can't help but feel like that might be similar for Sean Payton based on the way a lot of folks in the NFL perceive him. So I do feel like there's a chance that he would maybe want to get that ball rolling so that he's still able to kind of like enjoy that enshrinement process eventually. So again, like we mentioned on yesterday's show, not trying to put the cart before the horse too much, but I think it's worth discussing the possibility, just like it was kind of when Peyton Manning was entering that 2015 season for Denver and you felt like, man, this could really be it for him.

Starting point is 00:03:30 Yeah. And here's the thing with Sean. This is where I get hung up on it. Just knowing how competitive Sean is, remember when he just stepped away for one season. He joined the Fox broadcast team and, uh, you know, was watching film all the time. And he's just like, man, I miss it. Like he was missing football. You know, it wasn't the same as the day to day, the grind.

Starting point is 00:03:49 But remember when he first came to Denver in 2023, like he had to learn the whole process all over again. He had to deal with a new team. So there's new stresses. And so he's burning candles in his office. And now I feel like in the, you know, in 2025, like really towards the end of the season where Sean was more reflective about his career. He's reflective of, you know, at a certain point, you know, the doctor tells you when you get old, it's not a good idea to drive at night when it's raining, you know. And so for Sean to do something that we never thought he would do in handing off play calling responsibilities to a younger coach, to me, it signifies that. that Sean is happy with his legacy with where he's at.

Starting point is 00:04:26 But I do wonder, though, like, because I felt this when I could no longer. My situation was different, right? I didn't play in the NFL. But my career ended because of an injury. And I still had that itch even after my injury, even though I couldn't come back and play ever again. I had that itch. And so I invested in football in a multitude of other ways, this, the media game. And it still doesn't scratch the itch, Sarah.

Starting point is 00:04:51 And I just don't know, like, for Sean, can Sean be a guy who can enjoy his life after football? I feel like there's a process that's always going to be conflicting about that. Yeah, that's the tough thing is like he's a competitor, right? So, I mean, on the one hand, we can talk about the idea of him riding off into the sunset. But then again, if he wins the Super Bowl, I could just as easily see this being a situation where Sean's like, all right, now we're going to go win back to back. like I'm going to do right by my guy Mike Shanahan, my fellow Eastern Illinois alum right there and try to repeat history for the Denver Broncos and try to continue to honor the commitment that this ownership group made to me when they traded. I mean, they traded significant draft capital

Starting point is 00:05:35 to get Sean Payton and paid him a substantial amount. We don't know the exact amount, but I mean, rumor has he's up there among the highest paid coaches in all of football, college or pro. So I think that with Sean Payton, it's really a matter of what's what is he willing to give up because ultimately if you win a super bowl with a franchise you're you're chasing that that feeling once again right and he's talked about that how even after winning it it's not necessarily about how bad you want to win it again for yourself but how badly you want to bring others to that mountain top moment and that does drive sean payton and i think that he does care about you know his legacy when it comes to

Starting point is 00:06:15 being a head coach, not just of the Saints, but now of the Broncos and really becoming one of the best to ever do it in NFL history. I mean, we saw with Bill Belichick, like the Patriots won so many Super Bowls, Cody, how easy would it have been for him to ride off into the sunset? And he still couldn't do it. And then he goes in coaches at North Carolina. So like, it's in these guys' DNA. It's in their blood. They don't just, you don't really see this happen. So I think it's an idea on paper because there is a potential succession plan. in place, right? With you feel like Davis Webb getting all these interviews the past couple of years, he provides you that sort of, okay, we've already passed the keys off to him as the play

Starting point is 00:06:55 caller. Could we pass the keys off to him as the head coach? Maybe this year's an audition for that. Maybe it's not. Maybe we're going to be saying goodbye to Davis Webb after this year and having way different discussions because he gets hired somewhere else. But for Sean Payton, I mean, that would be the one thing that you would think could ultimately say, I'm going to give it up. I'm going to be done after this season. It would have to be a Super Bowl victory and nothing less. At that point, too, if you win a Super Bowl and you achieve that history becoming that first coach to do so with two different teams,

Starting point is 00:07:26 what else is there left to accomplish, right? Regular season wins. I mean, obviously, he's already a top 25 winning his coach in NFL history. He could still climb that mountain a little bit. I feel like even if Sean were to hypothetically, let's say Denver wins a Super Bowl, and he says, you know what, I'm going to pass. I'm going to ride off into the sunset, but I'm going to jump into an administrative role.

Starting point is 00:07:48 In my opinion, we talked about this a little bit in the Davis Web episode. John, the competitor that he truly is, that would be like a new transition, a new challenge for him is, okay, I've won two super roles as a head coach. Can I go win one now maybe as an executive? Can I have a front office role and can we help maybe build something there?

Starting point is 00:08:06 I think that could be something we could see. I just don't see him long for the media game after his coaching days are done. I know he liked it the initial first time there, but I just think there's this aspect to him where he loves being involved in the grind, the mud. And he likes going and doing the background of traveling and watching players and working players out, you know, in the draft, convincing guys to come here for free agency. I mean, there's so much to what the allure of Sean Payton is. But I was watching an episode of Ballers. I don't know if you've ever seen that show. Ballers, it was on HBO.

Starting point is 00:08:39 And this is when he was the head coach of the Northern Orleans Saints at the time. There is a character in the show, Ricky Jarrett, which was played by Denzel Washington's son. He's this wide receiver. And he's trying to court. They talk about the Debra Blocos and, you know, do I want to go play in the Mile High City? He takes a visit in New Orleans. And, you know, initially he's going through there and he's like, I'm not filled in the love. He's leaving the airport.

Starting point is 00:09:00 Sean Payton shows up there and there's the marching band from the New Orleans Saints and whatnot. And he goes, Drew couldn't be here, but nothing quite like New Orleans football. It's just Sean, he loves the game, man. He loves the game, and I guarantee you there's so much more to be written. I imagine, too, when he's done coaching, and it feels weird because fans are probably listening to us right now. They're like, are they talking like, Sean didn't retire? Sean hasn't said, well, no, we're talking about just like what could be in the future, right? Hypothetically, if the Broncos were to win the Super Bowl this year, could Peyton ride off into the sunset.

Starting point is 00:09:31 I think it's a fair question, fair conversation to have here early on. We're not trying to put the cart before the horse or anything like Sarah said earlier. But this is definitely something that we're looking at considering the, offseason events that have transpired, especially with Sean giving up the one thing that he loves the most, play calling. That was one of the bigger things there. So with that said, Brockos country, all these changes are in store for Sean Payton. But with him handing off play calling to Davis Webb, could that change his approach as a game manager? We'll discuss today's episode of the show. This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Financial stress is something a lot

Starting point is 00:10:06 of people are carrying right now, and it's not just about the numbers. It can affect your sleep, your relationships and your overall mental health and ways that build up over time. And the reality is struggling with money doesn't mean that you've failed. Sometimes it just means that you haven't had the right kind of support. It's something I've thought about how easy it is to put pressure on yourself financially without really talking about it, the stress that comes to trying to figure out everything out on your own, the expectations that you feel to have everything together and how that pressure can spill into other areas of your life.

Starting point is 00:10:34 Therapy isn't about financial advice. It's about working through stress, the anxiety and the emotions that come with it with over 30,000 licensed therapists and more than 6 million people serve. Better Help makes it easier to get matched and start focusing on what you need. When life feels overwhelming, therapy can help. Sign up and get 10% off at BetterHelp.com slash locked on. That's better, help.com slash locked on. How will Sean Payton's game management change in the 26th season now that he's

Starting point is 00:11:02 given up the play calling duties to Davis Webb? It could be interesting, but we know that Sean Payton is always playing 4D chess so it might enhance one of his greatest strengths. We're going to talk about that on today's episode of the show. Broncos Country, all you every dayers out there. We appreciate you so much for being an Every Dayer. If you want to further support the show, we encourage you to join the Every Dare Club

Starting point is 00:11:23 where you can get exclusive content and an ad-free version of the show. Really good stuff there. We appreciate you supporting the show in that way. And Cody, let's talk about Sean Payton's role changing as a game manager. We've brought up this scenario before. I think it's worth kind of bringing up again, because it was sort of the perfect storm of circumstances there in the AFC championship game, fourth and short, where we know the Broncos had been very

Starting point is 00:11:46 effective last season in fourth and short situations, albeit with Bo Nix as the quarterback, but you're in a fourth and short situation, up seven to nothing, with a chance to go up 10 to nothing in the AFC title game, you pass on that chance, you go forward on fourth down, you don't pick it up. There's a million different factors going on in that instance, right? And you and I have talked about how with the weather and with your backup quarterback on the field and what the Patriots are throwing at you, how many timeouts you have, how much time is left on the clock, what defense are they showing and how can we match that with our offensive personnel. There's maybe just a few too many things going on all at once for even a great head coach like Sean Payton to make necessarily the right decision in that moment of just kicking the field goal. And so now with him giving up offensive play calling,

Starting point is 00:12:38 I think that it could enhance what arguably might be his biggest strength. And we know this because he's been doing it for a long time. His role as the game manager, somebody who is playing that game of chess while everybody else is playing checkers, I feel like this could be a huge area that Sean Payton improves in 2026. Yeah, I mean, theoretically it should, right? We know how smart Sean is. And look, in training camp, I see him go over every scenario you could possibly think of with the team, end of half, end of game scenarios.

Starting point is 00:13:12 There's times where he stops everything and he's talking to the offense. He's talking to the defense about why they want to do this this way. And you factor in like timeout, situational stuff, point swings. There was even an instance. And I know this actually just got changed this summer from the NFL rules meeting. But there was one game this past season where the Broncos. they had the ball. I think there was a penalty.

Starting point is 00:13:36 They kicked it from the 50 yard line out of bounds. And it actually gave the opponents the ball to their own 20. And it's like when you think about it from a math standpoint, you're like, wait, how does that work? It's a brilliant rule that the Broncos took advantage of to pin their opponents back a little bit further there. So he thinks of everything. And he even reflected on that fourth down call from the AFC championship game

Starting point is 00:14:00 where he was talking about the previous play, Stid him was scrambling and he feels like maybe he got a little bit closer. He was trying to get a review with the official to check the spot. And then at the same time, it's, hey, the certain personnel that they came out in. It changed. Okay, the clock's at four. Now I got to call time out. And so you didn't get the look that you wanted.

Starting point is 00:14:18 And then you come out and you get an entirely different look that stops what you wanted to call instead of just like going for it and not overthinking the process previously saving time on the clock. Like for a head coach to think about game situation. wherever things at, the point swing scenario of trying to go up 14-0, right? He's thinking about all the analytics. He's thinking about what this could do, especially knowing, hey, we could have bad weather. That's a lot for a head coach and a play caller to process. And that's why I think so many times we see even some of the best play calling head coaches in the NFL struggle with game management. I mean, think about it from this standpoint, too.

Starting point is 00:14:56 How many times have we seen John Harbock criticized for his end-of-game game management situations? There's times Andy Reid has been criticized for how he manages end-of-game situations. These guys, for as good as they are, it is hard to do all of that, considering how fast the game is played. So I think for Sean, being that sounding board for Davis Webb, I think is going to be good. But at the same time, now he can focus on the really intricate details that matter. And that's how he can help Davis. That's how he can help Vance Joseph a little bit more here. I'm excited to see CEO-style head coach Sean Payton.

Starting point is 00:15:30 I don't know what that's going to look like. I don't either, but I think even if you just kind of put yourself in this situation, like, let's think about a game that's going to come up here this season. And the Broncos are in a situation where they might have to challenge something offensively. Did a guy catch the ball? Did he not catch the ball? Just even something as simple as the fact that Sean Payton no longer has to figure out, do we rush to the line of scrimmage and call play?

Starting point is 00:15:56 Or do I challenge it if they're saying that it was incomplete? And what play do I call if it was actually incomplete? like he no longer has to like wait for that he doesn't have to waste timeouts on that stuff because he now has somebody else who is delegated to call the plays in those situations to say all right davis get a play in i'm going to listen to the i'm going to listen to the headphones right now and find out if it's worth challenging or not that way you can have a play called and you can have your personnel ready to go your players are ready to go the flow of the game isn't interrupted but you can also still have somebody in sean peyton's ears

Starting point is 00:16:32 and then at the last second he can throw that flag, but you had a play called as opposed to at the last second. He calls a timeout, takes another look at it. We want to challenge it. And then they don't win the challenge. So now you've lost two timeouts. And like all these, that's just one scenario of how this can really benefit the team,

Starting point is 00:16:49 I think of many going forward. I'm curious if there's a place we can look. I was trying to look for a while you were talking. I was trying to look at his challenge success rate. Is there, I don't know if pro football reference has that, but I wanted to see where the Broncos challenge statistics were last year in 2025. I felt like Denver, for the most part, when Sean threw the challenge flag, it typically ended up being in favor of Denver.

Starting point is 00:17:15 And I think obviously Evan Rothstein, who was up in the box, who's Sean Payton's personal game advisor up there, he has done a really good job in terms of having that collaboration, because he is also the eyes and ears. I mean, it's been wild, Sarah, since we've been sitting here. Remember the Nathaniel Hackett years of saying, who the heck is telling Nathaniel Hackett to challenge these calls? And Jerry Rossberg has to get called to become that game manager.

Starting point is 00:17:37 I just felt like Denver's efficiency last year in challenging certain calls. I felt like it was timely. I felt like it was right for the most part. There were a few that did not get overturned. But Sean, I mean, there's times where he's using two challenges in a game. And he's got that conviction to be able to do it. And it's benefited Denver. I don't know what those stats necessarily are, but I would be curious.

Starting point is 00:17:59 Yeah, so going into last season, so this doesn't include 2025 data, but this is really interesting that in his time in New Orleans, 16 seasons, Sean Peyton had, and I guess between New Orleans and Denver, 136 total challenges, more than any other head coach in the NFL going into last season with a 44.1% success rate. So what can we determine from that? Well, we can determine first and foremost that there's a lot of times that Sean Peyton disagrees with the way things are called on the field and he's going to throw the flag even if there's a chance of it getting overturned. So he uses the challenge to his, I mean,

Starting point is 00:18:37 benefit even just to slow down the process of even if he's okay burning a time out. I mean, you can't take those things into halftime. You can't take those things with you to the next week. So I don't know. I find that aspect of it very fascinating as well. He loves to challenge. He does. Right now I'm looking at it. Says Sean Payton leads the way right now with a hundred and 36 calls challenged. Pete Carroll was previously right behind him. So 136, I mean, Sean is not afraid to throw that flag, which I mean, I like that you want to be able to do that. But his overall success rate, let me try to find it right here as I'm scanning through all the data. Well, in 2025, at least in his time in Denver, he's six of 15. So about 40%. But I think that's outdated because that came out actually September 21st. So that's after like the first week or two. So that doesn't actually. have all of the necessary data that you need here going forward. But Sean is not afraid to challenge it. So I imagine that area of Denver's game with Sean handing off play calling,

Starting point is 00:19:37 his game management, his, I'd say like even like trying to steal points before half, right? Like that's one thing he's preached. That is going to be a bigger element of Denver's offense. And I think defensively for them going forward. I mean, let's take a look at a probably more recent example, how Denver managed that end of the Buffalo Bills half in that playoff game where, you know, Josh Allen scrambles, Nick Benito forces the fumble, Devin Key gets it, and you still three points right before half time.

Starting point is 00:20:02 Like that right there when you look at it is so big. And you needed guys to make plays alongside of it. As a coach, you can call things up. You can try to create a formula for it, but it's about players going out there and executing. And guys, I think situationally, we've seen Denver be a better situationally prepared football team. I think that's why that helped flip some of those one-score games,

Starting point is 00:20:22 especially late. That's what fueled some of those comebacks and game-winning drives. Denver, they're sharp, and I think Sean Payton could have them even sharper this upcoming season here. Broncos Country List on what you think on today's episode of the show. But coming up next, we're going to debate and wonder what the biggest question is for Sean Payton here going into 2026. Is it a Super Bowl window or is it something else? We'll break you down on today's episode of the show. The biggest pressure facing Broncos head coach Sean Payton in 2026 could be the fact that Denver is in a Super Bowl window

Starting point is 00:20:54 or could it be how Sean Payton manages the play-calling aspect of Davis Webb? Will he let him grow or will he step in the way at times? That's one thing I think it's fair to ask you on today's episode's show. I just want to say thanks to all the everydayers out there in Broncos Country for making us your first list. We appreciate you so much here. Sir, I've got two things listed here is maybe like what is the biggest pressure for Sean Peyton.

Starting point is 00:21:16 Bronco's country, feel free to chime in if it's neither of these two things I'm about to bring up. In your opinion is the biggest pressure for Sean. the fact that the Broncos right now are in a Super Bowl window with Bow Knicks on a rookie deal, or could the biggest challenge or pressure for him be how he manages Davis Webb calling plays? I think the biggest pressure is obviously the Bo Nix and being in a Super Bowl window situation, Cody. And we heard Sean Payton, I know he kind of was joking around a little bit or, you know, maybe kind of a little sarcastic or whatever word you want to say. But at the NFL owner meetings, he's like, yeah, people keep talking about how, you know,

Starting point is 00:21:54 we got Bo Nix on his rookie deal. And basically he's like, no kidding, right? He was like, no crap, Sherlock, you know. And I think that ultimately you feel that pressure, the further you get down the line because when you get that rookie quarterback contract,

Starting point is 00:22:08 and it turns into a veteran quarterback contract, obviously the percentage of the salary cap that's taken up is substantial. And the Broncos, thankfully, don't have to worry about that for a few more years. But eventually, that will become a thing that they do have to think about. That will become something that they have to build around Bo Nicks taking up.

Starting point is 00:22:26 Hopefully, that's a great problem, right? You want to have a quarterback that's worth paying that kind of money to. But, I mean, for Sean Payton, the clock is ticking in that. And you have an opportunity now to have the best, like, is this the best possible roster that you will have? This year, maybe next year and the year after, this three year window here is this the best possible roster that you will have as an NFL head coach or as the Broncos head coach at the very least, right? maybe not better than some of his saints rosters, but maybe that's debatable as well. So you have to keep that in mind if you're him,

Starting point is 00:22:58 and that means that the pressure is on. You're in a window, so you want to make sure that you, you know, you hit, you capitalize on that. You know what's crazy when you look at it, and thank goodness for George Peyton and how the Broncos are structured some deals here. When you look at 2026, the overall salary cap

Starting point is 00:23:14 in terms of money contributing to certain areas, the offense has the most money right now from a salary gap standpoint, $155.9 million committed to the offensive side of the ball in positions there, which is crazy to think about when you think of Denver's defense, right? Nick Benito, Patrick Sertan, DJ Jones, Malcolm Rhodes, Zach Allen, all these guys just got contract extensions in the last couple of years. 143.1 million contributed towards that defense. Now, I think we all know after this season, that offensive price tag because of

Starting point is 00:23:46 Cortland Sutton, Jalen Waddle, that's going to bump up significantly. the defense because of Pat Sartan, Zach Allen, Nickniel, that's going to bump up a little bit more. I think it is about how can you maximize the talent that you have right now with this roster? And, Sarah, I would say my biggest argument, Denver has a better roster right now for Sean Payton than they had last year, then they had in 2024, then they had in 2023. This really is a push the chips in type of scenario here, considering how much money the Broncos have on defense, how much money they have on offense.

Starting point is 00:24:15 And when you think about it as well, some of the deals that are expiring on. offense soon. And also some of the situations of Garrett Bulls being as old as he is, Mike McGlinchie getting up there in age, but also his contract dwindling towards it. Ben Powers being in the last year of his deal, like feels like there was this pressure for Denver to really win it all this year. So that's also something I'm looking for to see and how Sean manages this whole situation. And I think maybe he needs to, or not needs to, I guess, but maybe there's a degree to which we can talk about the idea that his team's since winning the Super Bowl with the New Orleans Saints have been a bit snake-bitten in the playoffs,

Starting point is 00:24:52 right? I mean, you think about some of the ways that Sean Payton's teams have gone down. It is, I mean, it's the most brutal that you could possibly think of. I mean, one game literally resulted in the first time ever penalties being a challengeable play in the NFL, right? Remember that game between the Saints and the Rams where DeHel will be cold. Yeah, exactly. And then I think it was the very next year where it was offensive passenger I can't remember if that was the Kyle Rudolph. The Minnesota Vikings, yeah.

Starting point is 00:25:21 The push-off at the buzzer. Straight up. I mean, and so Sean Peyton's teams, some of his best have been royally screwed in the postseason. And the Bo Nicks injury, I mean, it's not a penalty, but look, I mean, if you're Sean Peyton, you've got to be sitting there thinking like, man,

Starting point is 00:25:37 I've built some of the best teams in the NFL that nobody's really going to remember because we didn't win at all. We couldn't finish. We couldn't get past the finish line. I couldn't get there, couldn't cross. And I just think that, look, while you don't write those things off completely or discard them completely, you do have to consider the fact that there is a significant hurdle for him to get over right now.

Starting point is 00:26:01 And things in his past that need to be squashed, you know, some demons to be exercised or whatever you want to say, whatever phrase you want to use there, I think there is some degree of truth to that for this coming season. Yeah. And look, I think a lot of people, you know, there are a lot of people. You know, there are a lot of people that don't like Sean. And the one thing they're going to bring up is Bounty Gate. And I think Sean, once again, served a suspension for something that Greg Williams ultimately did. And there's going to be because you're a head coach.

Starting point is 00:26:27 And there's a saying, you're either coaching it or you're allowing it. And I think that a lot of people are like, wait, how did Sean not know that this was going on behind the scenes? I still get comments all the time. You should see it. You know, we post our shows to Facebook on our Lockdown Broncos Facebook page. And you should see how many people we get saying, oh, Bounty Gate, Bounty Gate, Bounty Gate, Bounty Gate. It's like, all right, hey, that was where are we at? We're in 2026 now.

Starting point is 00:26:49 The fact that that's still being talked about just goes to show that that's a little low-hanging fruit for some people. And of course, it was a huge blemish on the NFL. But it's also a big reason why Sean Peyton is very, very, I would say, anti-Rogadale. I mean, you could tell that Sean doesn't like him. That's why he appeared in the show, Ballers. I told you about that was one show that did not make Roger Goodell very happy because they openly talked about kind of how the NFL operates. It's behind the scenes with certain things.

Starting point is 00:27:17 So for Sean, his legacy is what it is. He's a Super Bowl winning coach. He's going to be a future Hall of Famer. He's coached some of the greatest teams that you've seen in the NFL. He coached one of the greatest quarterbacks. I mean, remember there were all these years where Drew Breeze was efficient as can be. There was one game. What was it?

Starting point is 00:27:34 He was 28 to 29 passing in a game. Like, he has orchestrated some of the most impressive offenses you'll see in league history as well. And there will always be some people that are trying to. question that. There always be those moments in the playoffs, the non-call. And was this because of John Payton's grudge against Roger Goodell, right? Did that happen? Like, these things constantly get brought up. There's the reason why Sean is, I would say, as much of a stickler about the media as anything else, especially, you know, people who aren't regularly around covering practice that are there. Sean's ears kind of perk up a little bit. He pays attention to who's there and who's not.

Starting point is 00:28:10 So is it stuff that's worth investing in for Sean? I don't think so. I think Sean should have more important things to worry about. And I think that he's done a really good job of trying to pass that off as of late and say, you know what? It's not in my control. I'm not worried about it anymore. This is what I'm focused on.

Starting point is 00:28:26 I think he's done a better job of that. But yeah, it is fair to say some of these questions do linger. And I think it's also important to remember that Sean is cool under this pressure, right? I mean, he doesn't crumble under the pressure. He's somebody who embraces that. He embraces the competition. Like what head coach wants to go coach in the AFC West with Andy Reed and Mahomes and Justin Herbert and, you know, all these different factors?

Starting point is 00:28:49 Like who wants to go coach a team that's at the bottom of the AFC after, you know, they got Russell Wilson on the roster and the albatross of his contract and all these sorts of things like Sean Payton embraces this kind of pressure, which I think you've got the right person in the right seat to be able to succeed in a very difficult circumstance in a multi-year situation that has, I don't want to say the Broncos are ahead of schedule, but I would say that I feel like the Broncos have exceeded expectations greatly, considering their circumstances, considering the dead cap of Russell Wilson, considering having to draft a quarterback and not having a first round pick in either 22 or 23. And honestly, like, that's because of Sean

Starting point is 00:29:31 Peyton Penner, along with the Penner ownership group that has been created. and then you combine that with the ability to work with somebody like George Peyton and to kind of be the yin and yang in the front office to sort of be it doesn't make sense, but it works because a lot of folks didn't think it was going to work. And so I just feel like he's the right guy for this job to be able to take the Broncos to this place given all the other circumstances that are frankly out of his control, and he's not going to crumble under that pressure. And what happens ultimately, we have no idea, but I think that with Sean Payton, you at least have a coach who you feel comfortable knowing he's been to that mountaintop moment before and he can get us there again.

Starting point is 00:30:16 Well, there is a saying pressure does one of two things. He either creates diamonds or burst pipes and Sean's the type that I feel like knows how to farm diamonds. He knows how to get them. So I'm not worried about the Broncos in that regard here. Broncos country. Make sure you let us know what you think the biggest pressure is for Broncos head coach, Sean Payton, going into 2026. We're curious for your thoughts here. But on tomorrow's episode of the show for all you everydayers,

Starting point is 00:30:38 we're going to take a look at Vance Joseph and the three biggest questions surrounding him going into the 2026 NFL season. You're going to get all of that. Plus, I just want to encourage you. Once again, if you want to support the show, join the Everydair Club. There's the All Access version, which gets you access to the All-22 film breakdown. You get to join an exclusive community of other members in Broncos country on Discord and our locked-on Discord channel there. Plus you get one-on-one texting with Sarah and myself and so much more. Make sure you tune in.

Starting point is 00:31:04 Lockdown Broncos every single day, joining every day, our club. It's in the link down below, show notes down below. We're also Lockdownbroncos.supercast.com. Sarah and I, we will see you tomorrow for a brand new episode of the show.

Locked On Broncos - Daily Podcast On The Denver Broncos - LEGACY: Denver Broncos Super Bowl Win Could See Sean Payton Ride Off Into Sunset After 2026

There aren't comments yet for this episode. Click on any sentence in the transcript to leave a comment.