Broncos work out trade with Saints to hire Sean Payton
The Denver Broncos and New Orleans Saints are in negotiations to clear the way for Denver to hire Sean Payton as their new head coach, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Tuesday.
Payton walked away from New Orleans with three years still left on his contract (running through 2024), and so any other team would have to compensate the Saints in order to hire the 59-year-old coach.
The Broncos will send their first-round pick in this spring's draft and their second rounder in next year's draft in exchange for the Saints' 2024 third and the rights to Payton.
The move marks the first time an NFL head coach was traded since the Tampa Bay Buccaneers sent a sixth-round pick to the Arizona Cardinals in order to hire Bruce Arians in 2019.
Speaking of compensation, Payton is rumored to command $20 million in salary in order to return to coaching. Sources told FootballScoop Payton made $15 million in New Orleans.
Rob Walton, the Walmart heir who purchased the club in August, is among the 20 richest people in the world, with a net worth approaching $60 billion.
Denver needs to make a big hire for football reasons, as well. The club didn't jettison first-time head coach Nathaniel Hackett after one season in order to hire another rookie. The club traded for Russell Wilson last year and handed him a 5-year, $242 million contract, so the right coach will be viewed as an investment in that investment.
"Great fanbase. Great tradition," Payton told New Orleans Times Picayune columnist Jeff Duncan. "The ownership group is fantastic, and I love the way they competed last year. It's a great football city like we had in New Orleans."
Payton walked away from New Orleans with a 152-89 record, making him by far the most successful coach in Saints history. He led the club to its first and only Super Bowl title to close the 2009 season, along with two more trips to the NFC Championship. The Saints made nine playoff appearances in his 15 seasons.
Denver has struggled since winning the Super Bowl to close the 2015 season. Vance Joseph (11-21), Vic Fangio (19-30), and Hackett (4-11) all left the Mile High City with losing marks, and the club has not returned to the playoffs since winning Super Bowl 50.
The rival Kansas City Chiefs have reached five consecutive AFC title games and will play in their third Super Bowl in that span next week, and so no signs of slowing down as long as the tandem of coach Andy Reid and quarterback Patrick Mahomes remain in place.
With Payton now in place alongside Wilson, Denver has a tandem that it believes can challenge its archrivals to the east.
As always, stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest.
