Report: Broncos have stiff competition for bag-seeking Sean Payton

The Denver Broncos are in the thick of the Sean Payton sweepstakes as the one-time Super Bowl-winning head coach feels out his suitors.

Payton isn’t alone in investigating the landscape because he is still under contract with his former team, the New Orleans Saints, which means it’s not just hiring Payton—it’s trading for him too. The cost to hire and trade for Payton will be high.

According to Jordan Schultz of the Score, Payton is seeking over $20 million a year and the Saints want more than one first-round draft pick. And the Broncos are going to have to fight to reach those benchmarks because Schultz told the Pat McAfee Show that Carolina Panthers David Tepper is willing to go all-in on Payton.

"Sean Payton wants at least $20M a year.. I think the top two teams right now are Denver and Carolina" ~ @Schultz_Report#PMSLive pic.twitter.com/egTHUmCjTw

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) January 20, 2023

It’s not too surprising that Tepper would pay basically any cost since the Panthers gave a much less proven Matt Rhule over $60 million. The Panthers could also be driving up the price since they’re also in the Saints’ NFC South.

Even though Tepper is supposedly all in Schultz framed it as the Panthers having to pry Payton away from Denver, meaning the Broncos are still the favorite to land the now-FOX broadcaster. Tepper is one of the league’s richest owners but the Broncos have the league’s richest owners.

And that over $20 million asking price? Well, that’d be in line with what Bill Belichick makes—the highest-paid coach in the NFL.

The latest report places Houston and Arizona, who are both in the sweepstakes as well, as longshots.

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