Two Broncos nominated for NFL awards, but there’s a notable snub

Two members of the Denver Broncos’ elite defense earned nominations for NFL Honors ahead of Super Bowl LX, but the coach who built this final four team was nowhere to be found.

Outside linebacker Nik Bonitto and defensive coordinator Vance Joseph were named finalists for Defensive Player of the Year and Assistant Coach of the Year, respectively, the NFL announced Thursday.

Missing from the Coach of the Year ballot? Sean Payton.

The omission is somewhat baffling, even with a stacked field. Payton took over a franchise that went 5-12 in 2022, guided it to the playoffs last season and this year delivered the AFC’s No. 1 seed while navigating significant injuries.

The Broncos have six Pro Bowlers, an elite defense, and a playoff victory already banked — all while developing a second-year quarterback. Yet the voters understandably opted for a list that includes three first-year coaches who turned around teams to take them to the postseason, a second-year man who is leading the Super Bowl favorite and the man out of place here, Kyle Shanahan. The 49ers surprisingly made it to the Divisional Round, where they were smoked, but the talent on the roster was there and they didn’t finish the season quite as well as Denver.

Bonitto’s candidacy is well-earned. The former Oklahoma standout led the AFC West in sacks with 14.0, added 14 tackles for loss and 28 quarterback hits while earning Pro Bowl honors for the second consecutive season. Though he was snubbed from the All-Pro teams, which is even more glaring now, considering he was just voted one of the four best defenders in the league.

He became the highest-paid non-quarterback in franchise history in September after signing a four-year, $106 million extension.

His competition is fierce: Myles Garrett, who led PFF’s pass-rush grades at 93.3; Will Anderson Jr., Aidan Hutchinson, and Micah Parsons. But Bonitto’s numbers and impact on the NFL’s top-ranked sack-getting defense got him here.

Joseph, meanwhile, has orchestrated that dominant unit. Denver was first in sacks with 68 this fall and boasts reigning Defensive Player of the Year Pat Surtain II at cornerback, who was not nominated this year, likely due to missing a few games with an injury. His nomination comes a year after he helped turn the page from Denver’s defensive struggles in 2023.

The NFL Honors ceremony is on Feb. 5, live from the Bay Area on NBC and NFL Network.

The Broncos will be focused on Sunday’s AFC Championship Game against New England first, but Bonitto and Joseph will represent the orange and blue on the league’s biggest stage, possibly making a short trip from game preparation in that metro a few days later.

Payton likely won’t care too much about the award if he becomes the first coach in NFL history to win a Super Bowl for two separate franchises, but Broncos Country has a right to grumble.

Here’s the full list of nominees for the eight awards that will be given out at NFL Honors:

MVP
Josh Allen
Trevor Lawrence
Drake Maye
Christian McCaffrey
Matthew Stafford

Coach of the Year
Liam Coen
Ben Johnson
Mike Macdonald
Kyle Shanahan
Mike Vrabel

Assistant Coach of the Year
Vic Fangio
Brian Flores
Vance Joseph
Klint Kubiak
Josh McDaniels

Comeback Player of the Year
Stefon Diggs
Aidan Hutchinson
Trevor Lawrence
Christian McCaffrey
Dak Prescott

Defensive Player of the Year
Will Anderson Jr.
Nik Bonitto
Myles Garrett
Aidan Hutchinson
Micah Parsons

Offensive Player of the Year
Drake Maye
Christian McCaffrey
Puka Nacua
Bijan Robinson
Jaxon Smith-Njigba

Defensive Rookie of the Year
Abdul Carter
Nick Emmanwori
James Pearce Jr.
Carson Schwesinger
Xavier Watts

Offensive Rookie of the Year
Jaxson Dart
Emeka Egbuka
TreVeyon Henderson
Tetairoa McMillan
Tyler Shough

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