May the fourth be with them.
Every move coach Sean Payton made this offseason was designed to bring the Broncos another Super Bowl title. It would be their fourth, Payton’s second and first since 2009 with the New Orleans Saints.
Earlier this summer, Payton presented Drew Brees into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. It is easy to imagine the pair switching roles deep into the future if Payton adds a ring in Denver.
The coach, who is an all-time great culture builder, connected his football immortality to Bo Nix in the 2024 draft.
What began as a risk on a quarterback most draftniks did not view as a first-rounder can end in confetti on Feb, 14, 2027, at SoFi Stadium.
The Broncos’ championship window is wide open, and this season represents one of the best opportunities to cross the finish line with a loaded roster and Nix still operating on a rookie contract.
“Yeah, this is one of (those teams). I think you have to play good defense to be one of those teams. You have to get good quarterback play. You have to be good on the offensive and defensive lines. You have to be well coached,” Payton said. “I think we’re all of the above.”
Payton has exceeded expectations since taking over before the 2023 season. He navigated the Nathaniel Hazmat, er, Hackett mess, leading the Broncos to eight wins. The first playoff berth since 2015 came a year later. And last season, the Broncos captured the AFC West, ending the Chiefs’ nine-year chokehold, and won a playoff game.
With a new season on the cusp, it helps to look back at how we got here, with Payton still seeking another ring.
His discipline, motivation and attention to detail make him elite. But his audacity can get the best of him.
Was it Payton’s fault the Broncos lost the AFC Championship Game, 10-7, to the New England Patriots? Enough of it was. He should have kicked the field goal to give Denver a 10-point lead, rather than go for it on fourth-and-1.
Even Payton seems to have lost a little sleep over it, as much as a man can who drinks 10 Diet Cokes daily.
Head coach Sean Payton of the Denver Broncos walks the field while players stretch during practice on Thursday, August. 6, 2026, at Broncos Park in Centennial, Colo.(Photo by Timothy Hurst/The Denver Post)
It is proven that Payton is one of the greatest coaches in the NFL. He ranks 13th all-time with 184 regular-season wins and will move into ninth place ahead of Steelers legend Chuck Knoll with 10 this season.
But it is the title that carries the weight.
He was so close last January. That Broncos team won with clutch and luck, going 12-3 in one-score games. Payton would never admit it, but it felt like the Broncos were a year ahead of schedule.
At 62, in his 19th season as a head coach, Payton knows there are not going to be many more chances like this one.
To take advantage of it, he had to take extraordinary steps.
Trading for receiver Jaylen Waddle for a first-round pick was necessary and not surprising. The Broncos stunk early in games, and Nix needed a proven weapon to open up the middle of the field and vertical shots.
The move before that move was shocking. Payton surrendered play-calling duties to wunderkind Davis Webb, his quarterbacks coach of three seasons, after walking straight out of an NFL locker room as a player.
Offensive coordinator Davis Webb for the Denver Broncos looks on as tight end Evan Engram (1) prepares for a play during practice on Thursday, August 6, 2026, at Broncos Park in Centennial. (Photo by Timothy Hurst/The Denver Post)
Was it through collaboration, the promise of a contract extension, or a revelation that led to Payton’s decision? Probably all of the above.
Confidence defines Payton. It makes him special. But he came to realize that the mechanics of getting the plays in and the hockey line changes of personnel were not helping Nix reach his ceiling.
Payton can still call plays. But assuming a CEO role, if he allows it, gives the Broncos the best chance to win.
Of course, there are doubts. Payton acknowledges that he will have input in Webb’s ear with “some suggestions, some mandates.”
If Payton values the ring over power, he will give Webb free rein to find his way.
The offense looks different entering the season, with more slants and even — gasp!– passes to tight end Evan Engram. Webb wants Nix fast and less curious. Run a quick operation and take the boring completions to get his feet in sync.
“I’m looking forward to everyone getting the rhythm,” Webb said.
Fantasy football has perverted the way we view the NFL. It makes touchdowns seem so easy, when in fact, few of us know what it takes to diagram successful drives.
Payton obsesses over finding the perfect combination at the right time. His computer features a file of the 810 scores from his coaching career, separated by formation, quarterback drop-back steps, and red zone/goal line, 14 categories in all.
“It is a good resource,” Payton said, “for ideas.”
Payton likes to file the touchdowns this way: was it the player or the play?
These are the things that keep him up at night. Searching. Thinking. Texting.
It is why Waddle is so important. He addresses an obvious Nix weakness on passes over 15-plus yards in the air. If Nix can stress the defense over the top, it opens up part of the playbook for Webb that has long been occupied by cobwebs.
It will require Webb not to abandon the running game too soon, a trend that can be traced to Denver’s poor early-down efficiency over the last three years.
When the Broncos fell to the Patriots, it was because of the offense. Jarrett Stidham committed a turnover that played a huge role. But Denver had become too comfortable turtling, waiting for fourth-quarter magic.
The Broncos did not deserve to go to the Super Bowl after scoring seven points. It signaled that it was time for Payton to do something different. To empower Webb, to give Nix more elasticity and creativity at the line of scrimmage.
Payton is never going to change who he is. Nor should he. He is intelligent, caustic, charming and short-tempered. These qualities have put him in a position to dream of Canton.
Payton had a bad moment in the AFC Championship.
He appears to have learned his lesson.
Now, he is in position, if patient, to have a great season.
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