Sean Payton is regarded as one of the greatest offensive minds in the NFL. He guided QB Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints to their only Super Bowl title and helped his signal-caller break numerous all-time QB records. However, he decided to step away from the game, only to be ushered back into the fray when the Denver Broncos traded for the right to the veteran coach.
Coach trades in the NFL are rare, but the Broncos wanted to make a change at the top of their organization and didn’t mind paying draft compensation to acquire the right guy. Payton was no longer the coach of the Saints, but New Orleans still held his rights, so the two teams came to an agreement that would send the Super Bowl-winning head coach to Mile High.
A Closer Look at the Sean Payton Trade Details
Let’s look at what the Saints received in the Payton trade.
Sean Payton will become the Broncos’ next head coach, per @AdamSchefter
Denver will trade a 2023 first-round pick and a 2024 second-rounder to the Saints for Payton and a 2024 third-rounder pic.twitter.com/Ul0vDAUzzu
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) January 31, 2023
The Saints received:
- 2023 first-round pick (Bryan Bresee, DT, Clemson Tigers)
- 2024 second-round pick (Kool-Aid McKinstry, CB, Alabama)
The Broncos received:
- HC Sean Payton
- 2024 third-round pick (Jonah Eliss, EDGE, Utah)
Why Did New Orleans Trade Payton?
When the Payton trade happened, the head coach had stepped away from the Saints the previous season. New Orleans had moved on, promoting defensive coordinator Dennis Allen into the role.
Payton left on his own and not as a direct cause of any one thing or a decision made by the team or organization. He announced his departure during a press conference in 2022.
“I felt like it was time maybe heading into training camp,” he said. “I felt the time was right for me.”
“Retirement, I don’t think is the right word today,” Payton said. “I don’t know what’s next, and it kind of feels good.”
Well, what was next was a short-lived career in broadcasting. However, in 2023, while also fulfilling his role on FOX, Payton had begun interviewing for head coaching roles. Ultimately, Denver decided to fork up the compensation required from the Saints to be able to hire Payton.
Payton’s Rocky Start In Denver With Russell Wilson
The Broncos acquired quarterback Russell Wilson from the Seattle Seahawks in a blockbuster trade during the 2022 offseason. Denver hoped Wilson, then considered one of the NFL’s best quarterbacks, would help the franchise return to AFC contention.
But Wilson disappointed in his first season with the Broncos, completing just 60.5% of his passes for 3,524 yards and 16 touchdowns to go along with 11 interceptions in 15 games. Financially tied to the aging quarterback, the Broncos hired Payton in 2023 hoping he could help get Wilson back on track.
Wilson posted better box-score stats in 2023 — 26 touchdowns and eight interceptions — but his arm strength, mobility, and decision-making showed obvious decline. He was benched late in the campaign before being cut during the offseason. Wilson now plays for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
“It kind of played out the way I thought it would, honestly,” Brees told NBC Sports back at Super Bowl LVIII. “I think Russell has a skill set and I think Russell is still going to be able to go and have a great rest of his career elsewhere. As I watched them play this year, it didn’t feel like the timing, the rhythm, the tempo that I’m used to seeing in a Sean Payton offense. And I know those are the hallmarks of the offense. That’s the standard that’s been set.”
Looking to the Future with Bo Nix
Payton and the Broncos used the No. 12 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft to select Oregon QB Bo Nix.
“All of those guys during the process did well, whether it was Drake, or J.J., Penix. You spent a lot of time with all of them, and we just had a conviction [about Nix]. His pro-day was on a Friday, and then he had a Saturday workout with us with meetings. We just kept looking at the tape and doing our homework on it.”
Nix was the day-one starter for the Broncos in 2024. In his second year with the team, Payton is banking on Nix helping to get the train back on the track for a talented young squad.