The Denver Broncos surprisingly sit in second place in the AFC West following a 1-5 start to the season. Denver’s surge to 6-6 is a testament to veteran leadership displayed by head coach Sean Payton.
Despite the drastic improvements on the field, the Broncos were in a bind thanks to general manager George Paton. NFL insider Jason La Canfora of The Washington Post reported “rumblings” about Paton not returning in 2024.
“The Denver Broncos have made strides,” La Canfora wrote in an article published December 5. “But there are sustained rumblings in the personnel and scouting community that General Manager George Paton may not be back as Coach Sean Payton more fully forms his vision for that franchise. Paton predated Payton in Denver.”
This will be a situation to monitor, depending on how Denver finishes the regular season. Paton was instrumental in trading for the former New Orleans Saints coach last offseason.
Could the presence of the Super Bowl-winning head coach ultimately earn Paton a pink slip from the Broncos?
High-Priced Additions & Other Missteps Could be George Paton’s Undoing in Denver
Paton’s tenure has been uneven since becoming the Broncos’ general manager in January 2021.
With the opportunity to hire his own man, Paton opted for the services of first-time head coach Nathaniel Hackett. The former Green Bay Packers offensive coordinator was an absolute disaster in the Mile High City. Hackett was fired 15 games into his first season as Denver finished 2022 with a 5-12 record.
Right before Hackett’s arrival, Paton traded five draft picks and three players for quarterback Russell Wilson. In September 2022, Wilson signed a $245 million contract extension ahead of the regular season. The blockbuster deal was seemingly a bust in year one as Wilson had career-lows in touchdown passes (16), passer rating (84.4) and completion percentage (60.5).
While he’s playing better under Payton, Wilson averages only 198.8 passing yards per game. Even with the improved play, he has failed to live up to the massive cost Denver made to acquire him.
Paton also whiffed on linebacker Randy Gregory, who he signed to a five-year, $70 million contract in March 2022. Gregory played 10 games with the Broncos before he was traded to the San Francisco 49ers at the 2023 NFL trade deadline.
Most NFL general managers generally don’t survive the expensive miscalculations Paton has made in his three-year stay.
Will George Paton Be Trusted to Continue Building the Broncos?
Despite the Broncos’ 18-28 record since Paton was hired, Denver’s general manager has drafted reasonably well.
In his first draft class in 2021, Paton drafted impact players Patrick Surtain II, Javonte Williams and Quinn Meinerz. Paton has also drafted playmakers like Caden Sterns, Baron Browning, Jonathon Cooper, Nik Bonitto and rookie speedster Marvin Mims.
Most, if not all, of those players have hit and have the potential to benefit Denver long-term. Assuming Paton is retained for the 2024 campaign, should he be trusted to continue building the Broncos?
The main issue under Paton has been spending cash in free agency like he has a hole in his pocket. Per Mike Klis of 9NEWS Denver, Paton spent $235.1 million in total contract value while leading the league with $132.4 million in guaranteed dollars last offseason.
Zach Allen, Mike McGlinchey and Ben Powers were the highest-priced additions during the 2023 free agency period. Time will tell if those moves pan out in the next two seasons or if they’ll follow Paton’s other failures.
The Broncos will have $-20,923,984 in 2024 cap space, according to Spotrac. Denver also holds a first-round pick in next year’s draft for the first time since 2021. Limited cap space is a problem, yet hardly an impossible mess to clean up.
The team’s stunning rebound might have bought Paton some time, but is it already too late for him?
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Broncos GM George Paton: ‘Rumblings’ Continue Over 2024 Job Security