Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton has a great respect for Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh.
“I think (it’s) very good,” said Payton of his relationship with Harbaugh on Wednesday. “I worked with his brother, John, at the Eagles. Their father was a fantastic coach, and the two of them are fantastic coaches. Our league is better when Jim is in it.”
Jim began his journey as an NFL head coach when he was with the San Francisco 49ers from 2011-14, where he led the 49ers to a Super Bowl berth in 2013, where he coached against his brother, John and the Baltimore Ravens. “At one point there was a Super Bowl where the two of them were coaching against each other,” Payton said of the historic game. “We might go 200 more years before that happens again. That’s pretty remarkable.”
After 2014, Jim coached at the University of Michigan, leading them to a national championship in 2023.
Jim then returned to the NFL, landing in Los Angeles with the Chargers. “I’ve said this before out of respect, I would rather him be in a different division, but he does a tremendous job with his team,” Payton said.
The AFC West boasts four coaches who have led their team to a Super Bowl, and three who have won the Big Game. Harbaugh is seeking his place atop the NFL’s best, but he has to do it in the toughest division in football.
Payton and the Broncos will go into SoFi Stadium to play Harbaugh and the Chargers on Sunday.