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How much is Sean Payton worth? Broncos will have to pay to land potential top candidate

George Stoia,, The Gazette (Colorado Springs, Colo.)
·4 min read
11

Jan. 21—There appears to be a leader in the clubhouse to be the Broncos' next coach.

Following the first round of interviews, which included eight different candidates, former Saints head coach Sean Payton is the odds-on favorite to land Denver's coaching vacancy. Payton, who spent 15 seasons with the Saints, interviewed with the Broncos on Tuesday and many believe he's the team's top target moving forward.

But Payton's services will come at a cost — both financially and in the NFL Draft.

Payton expects to be paid in the $20 million to $25 million range, according to several reports, which would possibly make him the highest paid coach in the NFL. And while the Walton-Penner ownership group doesn't lack the money to make that happen — the Walton family is worth nearly $70 billion and are the richest owners in the NFL — that's a steep price for a coach who stepped away from the game a year ago to pursue a career in television.

On top of what would likely be a historic contract, the Broncos would have to compensate the Saints for Payton. New Orleans still retains the rights to Payton, with there still being two years left on his contract. NOLA.com columnist Jeff Duncan reported the Saints want two first-round picks for Payton, which would be similar to when coach Jon Gruden was traded from the Raiders to the Buccaneers in 2002. The Buccaneers got Gruden and the Raiders got two first-round picks, two second-round picks and $8 million.

The problem for the Broncos is they traded five future draft picks in exchange for quarterback Russell Wilson last March, including their 2023 first and second-round picks. They still have one first-round pick this year via the Dolphins via the 49ers, thanks to the Bradley Chubb trade in November.

But Payton holds all the cards in this scenario. While he is interviewing with other teams that could easily provide the Saints better compensation than the Broncos, if Payton decides he prefers Denver over other destinations, the Saints will be forced to work with whatever the Broncos can offer. Right now, that would likely be their first-round pick this year, which is currently 29th overall (via the 49ers), and likely a second or third-round pick in either 2023 or 2024. The Broncos could also send the Saints a player or money compensation, but it will definitely have to send this year's first-round pick.

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None of this will matter though if Payton doesn't pick the Broncos. He interviewed with the Texans on Monday before interviewing with the Broncos. He still has an interview scheduled with the Panthers for this upcoming week, and Carolina has both the draft capital and the money to land him. He's supposed to interview with the Cardinals, but no official date has been set. And there are still many that believe he may opt to wait another year in hopes of landing one of the Los Angeles jobs in 2024.

Though, it seems that if Payton takes a job this cycle, it's trending toward it being in Denver. According to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, "It sure seems like, though, if Sean Payton is going to take a job in this cycle, everything is lining up for Denver." Payton reportedly likes Denver's new ownership group and has spoken with Wilson, who he believes he can have success with at quarterback.

Now, if that's true and Payton prefers Denver, the Broncos have to decide if Payton is worth it. Or will they opt for one of their other candidates — Broncos defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero, Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, former Lions and Colts coach Jim Caldwell, former Stanford head coach David Shaw, Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris and 49ers defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans.

The picture should become clearer in the coming days, as the Broncos are expected to have a group of 1-3 finalists interview a second time. It's strongly believed Payton will be one of those. And it's likely all five teams that have openings won't make a hire until Payton makes a decision.

Right now, the NFL coaching carousel is in Payton's palm.