Sean Payton keeps raving about Pat Bryant as stock rises for Broncos WR

Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton really like his team heading into the 2026 season.

That was apparent when Payton sat down with Kay Adams from the “Up & Adams Show” earlier this week.

The full interview is insightful, as Adams always gets the best out of Payton when she makes her annual stop at training camp.

But Payton’s answer about WR Pat Bryant might be the most interesting. Bryant’s stock continues to rise going into his second NFL season.

It sounds like he will be on the field an awful lot.

Kay: "How the hell are you going to keep [Pat Bryant] off the field?"

Sean Payton: "We're not…"

The hype around the Broncos WR is REAL 🔥@Broncos | @SeanPayton | @PatBryant | @heykayadams pic.twitter.com/4hjPiZ8dN8

— Up & Adams (@UpAndAdamsShow) August 10, 2026

“We’re not,” is a key quote from Sean Payton when it comes to how much Bryant will play. Denver can’t keep him on the sidelines.

The Broncos are loaded at wide receiver with Jaylen Waddle, Courtland Sutton, Bryant, Marvin Mims Jr. and Troy Franklin. QB Bo Nix will have plenty of mouths to feed, but that’s a good “problem” to have.

Denver gave up a first-round pick (and more) to acquire Waddle in the spring from the Dolphins. Sutton is a veteran who’s one of the longest tenured Broncos and can still produce. Franklin is entering year three with big expectations and Mims makes explosive plays at key times.

But Bryant has been one of the stars of training camp and it’s clear Sean Payton and the coaching staff are intrigued with his talent. The head coach spoke more about Bryant after practice on Wednesday.

“I’m excited, I’m happy because you kind of saw the beginning of it last year, but like any young player, maybe you didn’t see it as consistently as you’re seeing now. He’s a confident player with strong hands. That ability to be on the ground and not alter your feet or your foot path, I think really serves him well,” Sean Payton said.

In his rookie year, Bryant finished with 31 catches, 378 yards and one touchdown across 15 regular season games. They were modest (but fine) numbers for a former third-round pick. Bryant also dealt with some scary concussion issues that limited him down the stretch, but that seems to be a thing of the past.

“Then like anything, (Bryant has) a good practice, then you have two, and then pretty soon there are a couple stories, and then there’s five stories and then all of a sudden, you’re like, ‘Hey…’ You guys have seen these guys grow right before our eyes, and it’s happened, I’m sure, more than a number of times. It’s good to see,” Payton concluded. 

Of course, Sean Payton himself is helping create some of the Bryant hype, but the wide receiver has earned it. He’s dominated camp day after day, making big catches at almost every practice.

We’ll find out if it translates to the field during the regular season, but right now there’s no indication it won’t.

And it’ll be fascinating to see how the targets are distributed from Nix to all of Denver’s pass catchers.

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