Andy Reid comes clean on his expectations for Broncos under Sean Payton
While Sean Payton gets his feet wet in Denver, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid is on the verge of winning a Super Bowl for the second time in four years. The Broncos' Sean Payton hire, however, was deemed big enough news for reporters to ask the head coach about the divisional rival's move to get the former Saints leader.
In his response, Reid appeared to imply that he expected the team to rebound in 2023 under the new management. Here's how he put it, according to Pro Football Talk:
“Yeah, Sean Payton is a great football coach and he’s coming into a great organization. He’s good for the National Football League. And it’s always good when Denver’s good. So, that’ll be a real plus.”
Sean Payton is cheering for the Eagles in the Super Bowl because he can’t cheer for another team in the AFC West.
The Denver Broncos officially revealed their new head coach at a press conference on Monday. In the hour-long event, reporters asked Payton who he wants to win the Super Bowl.
In response, the head coach didn't mince words. Essentially, he backed the Philadelphia Eagles to win the game and claimed that the best day in Denver is when every other divisional opponent loses.
Sean Payton with his Super Bowl pick:
“I’m picking the Eagles. We never want anyone in our division to win anything.”
Wow. This guy gets it. There’s going to be no tip-toeing and offering platitudes to division rivals anymore from the Broncos coach.
Sean Payton becomes first veteran head coach for Denver Broncos since Gary Kubiak
Super Bowl 50 winning head coach Gary Kubiak's first head coaching stop wasn't in Denver. However, the team pivoted from getting a veteran head coach after Kubiak stepped away from the team after the 2016 season.
Since then, the position has been exclusively occupied by head coaches with no previous experience at the position.
Vance Joseph, a young defensive coordinator, was hired in 2017 to coach the team. Vic Fangio, a lauded veteran defensive coordinator but inexperienced head coach, was hired to lead the team in 2019.
Nathaniel Hackett, who had shown sparks in the past as an offensive coordinator, was brought in to coach Russell Wilson in his first head coaching role. However, he was fired after the team's lackluster display in 2022.
Will a veteran head coach be enough to push the Broncos over the top?