Getty Former New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton.
Just when you thought the head coaching search for the Denver Broncos couldn’t get more confusing, it did.
Nine days after meeting with the Denver Broncos in person, former New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton was on Twitter disputing a Washington Post report earlier in the day that Payton feared a “potential power struggle” in Denver.
“Zero truth to this. We had a great visit and @Broncos Ownership was fantastic!!” Payton tweeted, four hours after Mark Maske of the Post tweeted “there was an issue with Payton’s interview with the Broncos” on January 17.
Payton likes the idea of coaching Russell Wilson and having that defense, but fears a potential power struggle with a member of the ownership group,” Maske tweeted on January 26.
During the interview, the only people in the room with Payton at a Los Angeles hotel was Broncos CEO and owner Greg Penner, minority owner Condoleezza and general manager George Paton, according to 9News’ Mike Klis, who reported on January 17 that the interview went well and that there was “mutual interest” between Payton and the Broncos.
Maske followed up his initial tweet with one saying, “Sean Payton has ‘loved’ his interactions with Condoleezza Rice during the Broncos interview process.”
Did Sean Payton Rub the Denver Broncos the Wrong Way?
Before Maske’s tweets, there had been reports that Denver had become less enthusiastic about Payton as the Broncos’ head coach.
“The idea that has surfaced that I have been hearing is that Sean Payton has some character issues that is perhaps scaring away Greg Penner,” radio host Mike Evans of 104.3 The Fan in Denver said on January 24.
The Fan’s Darren McKee said in an appearance with Denver Sports’ Rachel Vigil that he’d heard the same thing.
“Wow, you are the third person that has said something like that to me about what they’re hearing about him behind the scenes in the past 12 hours,” McKee said to Evans.
Two days later, Klis appeared on The Fan saying, “There were a couple of reasons why the Broncos backed off, and there are some real strong strings attached to him with the draft picks.”
Sean Payton Hasn’t Been the Front-Runner for Denver
Payton has yet to meet the team for a second time. After interviewing with the Broncos, Payton ended up meeting with the Houston Texans, Carolina Panthers and Arizona Cardinals. Per Klis, Denver and Payton haven’t met a second time because, “They never really set the interview.”
Klis added, “I never thought Sean Payton was the leader in the clubhouse at any time during this process. I think they [Broncos] were close, I think they were thinking about it. He might’ve been tied for first for a couple days, but I never got the sense in talking with the people that I have that he was the slam dunk leader.”
In fact, Denver’s initial top choice was Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh, according to Brock Huard of Fox Sports on January 24.
“Harbaugh was their guy. This is not from the team side of it, on pretty good account that this job was his if he really wanted it and he deliberated it,” Huard said. “Ultimately, just picked the kids and the student athletes, the young men there that all came to the school for him over this job in Denver which was a surprise to me.”
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Payton spent a couple of days in New Orleans to film a commercial after he had his interview with Carolina on January 23.
Where Things Stand Now for the Broncos
According to Mike Klis of 9News in Denver, San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans is leading the way to become the next head coach of the Broncos.
“He’s the front-runner let’s put it that way, the leader in the clubhouse,” Klis said on 104.3 The Fan.
“DeMeco Ryans is definitely atop, if not the top candidate that the Broncos are looking for in this head coaching search.”
Denver can’t interview Ryans for a second interview until after his 49ers play in the NFC Championship game against the Philadelphia Eagles on January 29.
Ryans can’t be hired until after the 49ers’ season comes to an end.