Andrew Buller-Russ
Sean Payton is a former Super Bowl-winning head coach whose accomplishments might just get him into the Canton Pro Football Hall of Fame someday. After all, he’s already been an NFL head coach for 18 seasons. Fifteen of those seasons came with the New Orleans Saints, and the last three with the Denver Broncos.
After leading the Saints to a Super Bowl victory at the end of the 2009 season, Payton’s seeking to become the first head coach to win a Lombardi Trophy with two different organizations, and the Broncos are certainly viewed as potential champions. While coach Payton is gearing up for his 19th season as head coach, he once proposed a scenario that would have seen him take a back seat to another coaching icon.
Payton Wanted Bill Belichick to Break NFL Coaching Wins Record with Broncos
According to ESPN’s Broncos insider Seth Wickersham, after the 2023 NFL season ended, when Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots parted ways, coach Payton wanted to bring him aboard in Denver. Specifically, Payton wanted Belichick to become head coach of the Broncos just long enough for him to break the NFL’s coaching wins record, of which he’s just 15 victories shy of surpassing Don Shula. Of course, it never came to fruition.
“When Belichick and the Patriots divorced in 2024, Payton considered presenting Broncos owner Greg Penner a proposal for the ages: Hire Belichick as head coach until he reached 15 wins, enough to break Don Shula’s career record of 347. Payton would temporarily step down to assistant head coach and run the offense, then move back after Belichick became the all-time leader. In the end, it was too complicated — and maybe too fanciful.”
Wickersham on Payton/Belichick
Payton’s idea is certainly outside the box. It would have been an unprecedented move for a coach as proven as Payton to briefly step aside for what could be anywhere from one to three seasons to allow Belichick to set a new NFL record. Yet, it shows just how much Payton respects Belichick.
While both coaches spent time with the New York Giants‘ coaching staff, the two never overlapped in The Big Apple. Belichick’s last season with the Giants came in 1990. Payton didn’t join their staff until 1999.
Still, with both working in the industry as head coaches for a decade-plus, the two leaders have crossed paths several times, just enough for Payton to build up a deep admiration for Belichick. While this one never came to fruition, it sure is fun to think about. Who knows? Maybe Belichick and Payton would have been able to lead the Broncos to another Super Bowl win in the meantime.
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