Report: Vic Fangio could be teaming up with Sean Payton

As rumors continue to swirl around the potential return to coaching of Sean Payton, a familiar name to Broncos fans arose in connection with him Saturday.

Saturday morning, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the former Saints head coach is building an “all-star staff” that would include ex-Broncos head coach Vic Fangio as a possible defensive coordinator.

Sean Payton is so interested in returning to coaching in the NFL that he's already putting together an all-star staff that includes former Broncos head coach Vic Fangio as his potential defensive coordinator, per sources.https://t.co/0G0ZXPlqwl

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 24, 2022

The Broncos fired Fangio last January after a 7-10 season. And while they struggled to put together a consistent offense during his three years as coach, their defense ranked in the NFL’s top quarter in both scoring defense and total defense last year.

Moreover, a slew of teams use Fangio’s coverage and pass-rush concepts — including the Broncos. They hired Ejiro Evero as their defensive coordinator earlier this year with the express intent of maintaining and building off the structure established in Fangio’s three years in Denver.

That said, Fangio being on a potential Payton staff would likely preclude the former Saints head coach coming to Denver. While public speculation regarding the Broncos’ head-coaching situation has often seen Payton’s name arise, Denver has never appeared to be the most attractive destination for Payton, who can effectively choose his next destination among jobs that are and could be available if he opts to return to the sideline.

Any team who wants Payton would also have to surrender compensation to the New Orleans Saints, who still hold his rights. That could represent draft capital, players, cash or some combination of some or all of those.

Cash certainly wouldn’t be an issue for the Broncos who have the NFL’s wealthiest ownership group. But draft capital remains so, even after last month’s trade of Bradley Chubb that brought back a first-round pick and other considerations in the deal.

But also working against the Broncos if they wanted to pursue Payton is the situation in which they find themselves. They st in an AFC that stacked with stellar, young quarterbacks. Meanwhile, Russell Wilson is just beginning a massive deal, trying to recapture the form that made him a nine-time Pro Bowler in Seattle.

Payton may be just a Denver pipe dream for other reasons, too. But having Fangio as a potential assistant is another ingredient in a fruitcake that seems destined to take Payton somewhere — perhaps even to a Broncos divisional rival.

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