Sean Payton has ‘a ton of respect’ for Andy Reid, expects Arrowhead to be loud

Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton helped the team win the AFC West last year for the first time since 2015.

And now that the Broncos have dethroned the Chiefs once, they’ve got to find a way to do it again.

Week 1 is always big in the NFL, but Denver and Kansas City on Monday Night Football will be massive. The winner will emerge with an early head start in the division, while the loser might be digging out of a hole all year long.

Payton held a conference call with reporters on Monday morning, one week before the 2026 season finally gets going for real. He was asked about the keys to how Denver has been able to turn things around in the AFC West.

“The first thing is focusing as a team on improving. There’s a sense of urgency when you get somewhere new. We have a ton of respect obviously for (Chiefs head coach) Andy (Reid), his staff and what they’ve accomplished, that team,” Sean Payton said.

Reid has won three Super Bowls with the Chiefs and appeared in two more. Yes, having Patrick Mahomes at QB is a huge help, but Reid has proven himself to be on the best leaders in NFL history.

The good news is Payton is creeping more into that conversation as well, attempting to add a Lombardi Trophy with the Broncos and be the first ever head coach to win a Super Bowl with two different teams. Starting 1-0 in 2026 would get things off on the right foot.

“Our task or our goal was really get to work and find the right 53 guys each season and work on the details of the game. So it’ll be a big challenge, especially with the crowd noise in Kansas City this year,” Sean Payton said. 

Clearly, he expects Arrowhead to be loud next Monday night. The Chiefs are coming off a shockingly bad 6-11 season, so they’re out to show that was a fluke.

And in the meantime, Sean Payton and the Broncos will be attempting to prove 2025 wasn’t lightning in a bottle. After going 14-3 and earning the No. 1 seed in the AFC, the journey to the top of the mountain begins again.

Strap in, Broncos Country. It’s finally game-week in Denver.

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