Payton battles caution on play sheet ahead of Bills rematch

Sean Payton knows his biggest opponent Saturday might be himself, not Josh Allen, as the Denver Broncos prepare to host the Buffalo Bills

BY JAKE SHAPIRO

Jan 15, 2026, 3:09 PM Updated: Jan 16, 2026, 2:44 am

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Sean Payton knows his biggest opponent Saturday might be himself, not Josh Allen.

As the Broncos prepare to host the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Divisional Round, the veteran head coach offered a candid admission Thursday: age makes him want to be a more cautious play-caller, and he’s fighting that instinct ahead of the biggest game of Denver’s season.

“The thing that I have to continue to, that changes as you get older, is you still have to be quick,” Payton said on Thursday. “Play just ran, next play. When I was younger, we’d run a reverse on the 8-yard line and I’d think nothing of it. As you get older, you think about all the ramifications.”

Payton compared his mental drift to the wisdom that comes with being older as a person and being more cautious in general.

“It was said that as you get older, maybe you don’t drive in the rain at night,” he said. “I can’t let that happen as a play-caller. That’s something that I have to mentally make sure — it’s quick, it’s quick and decisive, and it’s daring at the right time, not reckless. Those are things that I find are challenges compared to when I was 33 in New York.”

For Payton, the caution is not new to him. He sees his father in himself in a way. His dad worked in casualty claims and insurance.

“We had no trampolines, we had no swimming pools. We couldn’t ride motorbikes,” Payton said. “We knew where every sharp edge was. But anyway, I think that’s the thing I’ve got to focus on.”

That mental battle is playing out during a week Payton acknowledged has a different feel. Asked if he could sense his team’s anticipation, he said the energy was unmistakable.

“It felt like a playoff week — practice week different than, and it should, but it felt different,” Payton said. “They get it. It’s a great opportunity.”

And Payton has embraced the extra preparation that is needed. He said he made the red zone meeting go long on Wednesday night. He also shared with his players the feelings he had during a year away from coaching and instead on TV in 2022.

“We’re all sold on what retirement is going to be — the lake somewhere with a fishing pole,” Payton said. “It’s a little overrated, relative to having a purpose and getting up. That year out, very, very little mattered. But all the while, immediately, you realize that the racetrack is going. You smell the gasoline, the lights are on, and you’re like, man, there’s nothing like that.

“There’s going to be a time when all of us have to get off. But not today. Not today.”

Kickoff against Buffalo is set for Saturday at Empower Field at Mile High.