If you\u2019re a Denver Broncos reporter asking Sean Payton about football, he wants you to have the experience to back it up.<\/p>\n
Payton had a sort of \u2018you can\u2019t talk football if you never played it\u2019 interaction with a reporter this week as he prepares for Denver\u2019s Divisional Round matchup with the Buffalo Bills. While meeting with the media, Denver Post Broncos beat writer Luca Evans asked about returning linebacker Dre Greenlaw and his \u201cability to attack downhill\u201d in the running game.<\/p>\n
Credit Evans for attempting to ask a direct football question about Greenlaw and his expected impact. But Payton didn\u2019t seem impressed.<\/p>\n
Sean Payton: \u201cIt\u2019s good to have a healthy Dre Greenlaw back in the game.\u201d<\/p>\n
Also makes it pretty clear that I shouldn\u2019t play middle linebacker pic.twitter.com\/f6aYQS55vD<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Luca Evans (@bylucaevans) January 13, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cYou want him to attack downhill?\u201d Payton asked in a condescending tone. \u201cIs that your\u2026Like, what do you know about attacking downhill in the run game? You don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not a middle linebacker,\u201d the reporter admitted, prompting Payton to proudly say \u201cThat\u2019s right\u201d as if he was victorious in the back and forth. Payton did at least acknowledge it will be nice to have Greenlaw back and healthy, but he didn\u2019t bother addressing the linebacker\u2019s ability or non-ability to attack downhill.<\/p>\n This isn\u2019t the first time Payton had a somewhat testy exchange with a member of the Denver media. Just last week, he called out Denver Gazette columnist Mark Kiszla for not making eye contact<\/a> when he asks questions.<\/p>\n It\u2019s worth noting, Payton\u2019s interaction with Evans may have sounded a bit colder than it actually was. Evans referred to it as a \u201cfunny moment<\/a>\u201d that he and Payton joked about after.<\/p>\n \t