Sean Payton's return as coach was not exactly ceremonious.
Payton became the center of attention almost immediately when he closed Russell Wilson's office at the facility and then criticized the regime before him. Things got even hotter for Payton when the team lost five of its first six games of the season.
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Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton speaks to the media during the NFL Combine at the Indiana Convention Center on February 27, 2024 in Indianapolis. (Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
The Denver Broncos managed to snap their losing streak against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 8, but controversy over whether Wilson would remain the starting quarterback and rumors about Jerry Jeudy's status on the team began to surface. The team finished 8-9.
Entering Payton's second year with Denver, the Broncos released Wilson and traded Jeudy to the Cleveland Browns. The team also selected Bo Nix with the 12th pick in the draft, a move that shocked the NFL world.
Plus, for all his critics, Payton has something for them.
“I think I have two middle fingers,” he told reporters Tuesday via Pro Football Talk. “I've gotten better with age at not using them. I think it's more, and I would say this has changed for me, it's more focused inward in relation to our own equipment and what we're doing. As you get older in this, don't waste calories on certain things that I could have done in 2006, 2007 and 2008.
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Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton speaks to the media during a pre-draft press conference in Englewood, Colorado, on April 18, 2024. (RJ Sangosti/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images)
“I don't play a lot of video games, but you have 'X' amount of battery and power, and you try to use it where you think it will be best to help the team. So, over time you learn not to spend so much on things you can't control, certainly on the lists.
“If I was worried about that, we wouldn't have drafted Bo Nix where we drafted him, if I had paid attention to that. That's that 'NFL train' that no one knows who's driving, and you have to pay attention to it, but you don't want to jump on it. him, or you just start making decisions… And we still don't know who's driving, you're just paying attention to your instincts, your experience and what you're seeing the things that drive me now.”
Denver will have a lot of questions heading into training camp, most importantly the quarterback situation which appears to be a battle between Nix and Zach Wilson.
Denver Broncos number 10 Bo Nix talks with head coach Sean Payton while stretching during the Denver Broncos Rookie Minicamp at Centura Health Training Center on May 11, 2024 in Englewood, Colorado. (Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
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It will be a few long weeks before Denver resolves its roster.
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