The Denver Broncos have a lot to be excited for in 2025 after a very promising 2024 season that saw them unexpectedly make the playoffs, spearheaded by impressive rookie QB, Bo Nix.
Now entering Year 2, Nix has a pair of new running backs in JK Dobbins and RJ Harvey, and some immediate upgrades to what was already one of the league’s best defenses, in Talanoa Hufanga, Dre Greenlaw and 2025 first round pick, Jahdae Barron.
But it could be that the organization’s true “X Factor” is the coach, Sean Payton, who has turned the team round remarkably after a mediocre 8-9 debut season in Denver.
Having been long considered one of the better coaches in the NFL, Payton’s stock took a hit last offseason after his first season in Colorado. Yet, according to Pro Football Focus’ Dalton Wasserman, the stock on Payton has rarely – if ever – been higher, as Wasserman ranked Payton as the second best head coach in pro football, behind just the Kansas City Chiefs‘ three-time Super Bowl champion, Andy Reid.
Payton A Top-Two Head Coach In The NFL – PFF
“Payton inherited a disaster in Denver in 2023, and his quarterback, Russell Wilson, was clearly unhappy.” Wasserman wrote on Tuesday, “After a 1-5 start, Payton rallied the team behind a strong defense to win seven of their final 11 games.”
Wasserman praised the duo of Payton and Nix, who look to be the leading figures for the Broncos for the foreseeable future.
“Wilson was jettisoned, and the Broncos selected their new quarterback, Bo Nix, in the 2024 NFL Draft…Payton and Nix turned out to be a match made in heaven, giving Broncos fans a vision of Payton renewing the success he cultivated for so long in New Orleans. Denver’s defense was still strong last season, and Nix’s excellent 1.8% turnover-worthy play rate perfectly represented a team that didn’t beat itself. The Broncos lost only two games all season by more than one score, defeats to AFC elites Baltimore and Buffalo. Denver has only added more talent this offseason and should continue to contend with its elite head coach leading the way.”
Why Is Sean Payton Held In Such High Regard?
There is no doubt that, even for those who may disagree with the exact ordering of PFF’s list, that Payton is in the upper echelon of coaches in the league.
A combination of his raw schematic prowess on offense, and an ability to keep the locker room together and instil excellent team culture has made him the envy of numerous franchise owners over the past two decades.
There is a reason that the Broncos gave up a first rounder and more to acquire Payton’s services when there were numerous other qualified candidates on the market. And even though he has just the one Super Bowl ring, he has 11 winning seasons and 10 seasons in the playoffs.
The Broncos face a re-invigorated AFC West that has suddenly become one of the more competitive divisions in football with the resurgence of the Los Angeles Chargers under Jim Harbaugh. And of course, the reigning AFC champions, the Kansas City Chiefs.
