Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton is one of the winningest head coaches in NFL history. While he’s had plenty of success, including winning Super Bowl XLIV as head coach of the New Orleans Saints, is he paid like one of the top coaches in the league? Let’s break down Payton’s net worth, contract, salary, and more.
Sean Payton’s Path to the NFL
Payton played college football for Eastern Illinois and had a brief stint in the NFL as a strikebreaking replacement player with the Chicago Bears in 1987. Payton played quarterback and the bulk of his success came in the Arena Football League, Canadian Football League, and UK Budweiser National League.
After his playing days ended, Payton made the transition to coaching. After collegiate stints with San Diego State, Indiana State, Miami (OH), and Illinois, he got his first NFL coaching in 1997 with the Philadelphia Eagles, who hired him as their quarterbacks coach. From 2000 to 2002, he would serve as the New York Giants’ offensive coordinator.
Finally, he got his first head-coaching gig in 2006 with the Saints. He would remain with New Orleans until 2021, helping the team win Super Bowl XLIV. Payton was named the AP Coach of the Year in 2006 and the Maxwell Club NFL Coach of the Year in 2006 and 2009.
Payton was suspended for the entire 2012 NFL season due to the Bountygate scandal. The NFL found that Payton and other Saints coaches were paying their players to injure opponents. Payton filed an appeal against the suspension. The appeal was denied, and Payton was not reinstated until 2013.
In January 2022, Payton announced his retirement from coaching and became a broadcaster with Fox NFL Sunday. However, after one year away from coaching, Payton decided to return to the sidelines.
Sean Payton’s Contract and 2024 Salary
After deciding to return to coaching and interviewing with numerous teams, the Broncos hired Payton as their next head coach on Jan. 31, 2023.
Denver needed to make a drastic change after their failed Nathaniel Hackett experiment, and shifting to a future Hall of Fame head coach in Payton certainly qualified as drastic. But keeping up with the Kansas City Chiefs requires an aggressive mindset.
The Broncos sent a 2023 first-round pick and a 2024 second-rounder to the New Orleans Saints in exchange for Payton’s rights and a 2024 third-round selection.
In February 2023, NBC Sports’ Peter King reported that Payton signed a five-year contract “in the neighborhood” of $18 million annually. Payton is the NFL’s second-highest-paid head coach. The only head coach earning more than Payton is three-time Super Bowl winner Andy Reid, who makes roughly $20 million annually with the Chiefs.
Considering the draft capital and money they gave up, the Broncos clearly expect Payton to turn the team into a perennial contender.
While the Broncos didn’t make the playoffs in 2023, they fought back from a 1-5 start to finish with an 8-9 mark, beating the Chiefs, Buffalo Bills, and others along the way. Now, Denver is in the playoff picture this season.
The Broncos invested a first-round pick in Oregon quarterback Bo Nix, named him the starter for the 2024 season, and honored him as the first rookie captain in 57 years. Payton and Nix have a strong working relationship, and the rookie quarterback has exceeded expectations throughout his first season.
The Broncos have their quarterback of the future and an offensive guru to help him realize his full potential, so they are in excellent shape.
What is Sean Payton’s Net Worth?
Payton’s net worth is estimated to be $35 million.
In addition to his NFL contracts, Payton also became the first NFL coach with a sneaker deal, as he’s sponsored by Jordan Brand. Payton recently discussed this first-of-its-kind sponsorship and how it came about (thanks to an encounter with Michael Jordan himself).
Sean Payton shares how he became the first coach with a @Jumpman23 endorsement deal ✍️ pic.twitter.com/5EVclS2MGc
— Nice Kicks (@nicekicks) August 22, 2024
For comparison, Reid’s net worth is approximately $50 million. Meanwhile, legendary NFL head coach Bill Belichick has an estimated net worth of $70 million.
It’s noteworthy that Payton is 12 years younger than Belichick and six years younger than Reid.
How Sean Payton’s Story Became a Movie
While serving his Bountygate suspension in 2012, Payton spent the year coaching his 12-year-old son’s Pop Warner football team. In 2022, Netflix made a movie about this called “Home Team,” which stars Kevin James as Payton.
Kevin James and Taylor Lautner partner up for HOME TEAM, based on the true story of New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton.
Taking the field January 28. 🏈 pic.twitter.com/c5AKM413OC
— Netflix Tudum (@NetflixTudum) December 14, 2021
“When NFL head coach Sean Payton is suspended two years after a Super Bowl win, he goes back to his hometown and finds himself reconnecting with his 12-year-old son by coaching his Pop Warner football team,” the movie’s description reads.
It’s unclear how much money Payton earned from the film, but he does have a cameo in the movie, playing a janitor named Lionel.