The man responsible for breathing life back into the Denver Broncos franchise and turning them into Super Bowl contenders isn’t going anywhere, anytime soon.
“ESPN sources: The Broncos and Sean Payton have reached agreement on a new five-year contract,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter wrote on his official X account on Thursday. “Payton has led the Broncos to the third-most wins in the NFL over the past two years, including an AFC Championship Game appearance last season. Now, Broncos owner Greg Penner has both his HC and GM George Paton under contract through the 2030 season, with stability across his football operations … The Broncos gave up a first-round pick and a second-round pick to acquire Sean Payton in 2023 from New Orleans. Since then, Denver has improved its win total in each season under Payton and has now rewarded him with a new five-year contract.”
Payton came to the Broncos before the 2023 season and snapped an 8-year playoff drought in 2024. In 2025, Denver went 14-3 and earned the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs, losing to the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game.
“Sean Payton has led an impressive turnaround over the past three seasons, instilling a winning culture with high expectations,” Broncos owner and CEO Greg Penner said after news of Payton’s new contract broke. “I appreciate the close partnership he shares with George Paton along with the alignment and stability across our football operations. We’re thrilled for Sean to continue leading our team as head coach, building on our progress during such an exciting time for the Broncos.”
According to several sources, Payton’s $18 million per year salary makes him the 2nd highest paid head coach in the NFL, trailing just Chiefs head coach and 3-time Super Bowl champion Andy Reid at $20 million per year.
Sean Payton’s Career: Controversy and Winning
Few head coaches in NFL history have had the success — and generated the controversy — that Payton has over his 2-plus decades as an NFL head coach for the New Orleans Saints and Broncos. That includes a Super Bowl win with the Saints following the 2009 season.
Payton was at the center of the sprawling “Bountygate” scandal with the Saints, when Goodell handed out some of the harshest penalties in league history after discovering the Saints operated a slush fund that paid defensive players “bounties’ for injuring opposing players
In response, Goodell suspended Payton and linebacker Jonathan Vilma for the entire 2012 season and defensive coordinator Gregg Williams indefinitely. While Vilma had his suspension overturned on appeal, Payton served his yearlong suspension.
There was a movie made about Payton’s year away from the NFL in which comedian Kevin James played the coach — “Home Team” co-starring Taylor Lautner and Rob Schneider was released on Netflix in 2022.
Payton returned to the Saints following the suspension and was their head coach for 9 more seasons.
Nightmare Schedule for Denver Broncos in 2026
The Broncos have a nightmare 1st 6 weeks of the 2026 regular season.
The Broncos open the season by traveling to face the Chiefs on Monday Night Football, then play 5 consecutive playoff teams, culminating in hosting the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks in Week 6.
“If you consider the Chiefs a playoff team, then the Broncos are the first team in NFL history to have their first 6 games of the season against playoff teams from the year before,” Stevens wrote on his official X account. “Unbelievably tough start for Denver.”
Broncos Head Coach Sean Payton Agrees to Lengthy New Contract