Broncos star Pat Surtain II draws parallels between Sean Payton and Nick Saban
Pat Surtain II might be the biggest star of the 2024 Denver Broncos. Predictably, the biggest star heralds from the Alabama Crimson Tide, one of the best college teams in the country on a perennial basis when Nick Saban led it. As such, Surtain gave a unique complement to Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton in comparing the two.
The comparison came in an interview posted by Jim Rome on his Twitter/X account on Friday. Here's how Surtain put it.
“When it comes down to winning, when you got two guys of that caliber and what it takes to win with that culture, the stage will be set for them. They really know how to get their players dialed in and locked in, ready to go. When you look at great coaches, that’s one of the things that separates them apart.”
In other words, he compared the two in their ability to get their players to focus. Many also compare the two in their personality. Both serve largely as no-nonsense, focus-first coaches unafraid to grind any conversation to a halt.
Pat Surtain II's HC Sean Payton offers Nick Saban-esque response to minicamp question
Pat Surtain II is heading into his second season with head coach Sean Payton and a major quarterback change. Predictably, questions about Bo Nix have been the most common the head coach has faced since the NFL Draft.
In a Nick Saban-esque manner, Pat Surtain II's head coach appeared to portray a sense of building frustration with the questions. This response came from a question asked during minicamp, per a clip provided by "Pro Football Talk:"
"Here we go again. I don't know. So I don't have a date, but I have a gut. You know we always talk about the locker room and the players in the locker room. And so I think when we get into training camp and we get into the preseason games, I think oftentimes the decisions take care of themselves."
Saban took a few steps to hide his emotions, regardless of the setting. Of course, he and Sean Payton have sometimes cracked jokes when talking with reporters. However, as soon as they felt something wrong with a situation, they addressed it.
With Saban now retired and Bo Nix's top cornerback going from one Nick Saban figure to another, attention turns toward 2024. Does Pat Surtain II's head coach give the Broncos' playoff chances a Saban-like look?
If any of the above quotes are used, credit Jim Rome, "Pro Football Talk," and H/T Sportskeeda.