There was a big change at Broncos practice Friday, but a couple of players claimed they didn’t even notice.
Head coach Sean Payton made a brief appearance early in the walkthrough portion of the proceedings, but he and a contingent of more than a half dozen Broncos staffers and players are heading to Canton, Ohio, to be part of Drew Brees’ enshrinement into the Pro Football Hall of Fame this weekend.
Payton will miss the team’s Saturday practice as well.
“I honestly didn’t even realize that he left,” Broncos wide receiver Pat Bryant said. “Around this time (of camp), you just kind of hone in on what we got going on at practice. … It’s just the standard around here, whether he’s here or not.”
Brees and Payton arrived in New Orleans together in 2006 and spent 15 years together, including a Super Bowl-winning campaign in 2009. The coach will present his former star quarterback during the Saturday induction ceremony.
Traveling to the Hall of Fame along with Payton from the Broncos: Kicker Wil Lutz, offensive line coach Zach Strief, senior defensive assistant Joe Vitt, offensive quality control coach Willie Snead IV, strength coach Dan Dalrymple, and VP of player health and performance Beau Lowery.
Payton’s absence left defensive coordinator Vance Joseph in charge of the practice, but he is an overqualified substitute teacher.
“I saw (Payton) during the warmup,” Broncos defensive back Ja’Quan McMillian said. “I really honestly didn’t notice it before. I didn’t see him. I was just focused on what I was doing. But just having (Joseph), I went up to him and said head coaching looked good on him. He gave us some words at the end of practice that were inspirational.”
Joseph rose through the ranks as a defensive assistant before landing the Broncos’ head-coaching job in 2017. After going 5-11 and 6-10 in two seasons, Joseph was fired by the organization on Dec. 31, 2018.
He returned to the Broncos as Payton’s defensive coordinator in 2023. After a rocky start that season, Joseph has helped turn Denver’s defense into one of the best in the NFL.
The guy his players call “VJ” was named the NFL’s assistant coach of the year in January after the Broncos allowed the second-fewest yards and third-fewest points en route to a 14-3 record in 2025.
Joseph became a hot name during the NFL’s coaching carousel. He interviewed with five teams for their head coaching positions during Denver’s run to the AFC championship game, but ultimately is returning to the Front Range for his fourth season in charge of the Broncos’ defense.
He’s been the top boss before, but a couple of days running the show for a team with Super Bowl aspirations certainly can’t hurt.
“I think we’ll definitely see ‘VJ’ be a head coach (again) at some point,” Broncos linebacker Justin Strnad said. “It’s cool to see him out there, kind of getting that experience. I know he had a short stint here in Denver, but I think he’ll get another chance and I’m excited to see what he does.
“He did a great job today. We got a bunch of situations in, a bunch of work. I thought it was a great practice from both sides.”
Want more Avalanche news? Sign up for the Avalanche Insider to get all our NHL analysis.