Early in Sean Payton’s tenure as the head coach of the New Orleans Saints, he was approached by late owner Tom Benson with a concern.
Teams around the league were requesting to interview assistants on Payton’s staff for potential promotions. Benson was worried the Saints would lose talented coaches just as they were becoming a contender in the NFC. Payton responded that the overtures were encouraging. It meant they were bringing the right people into the building.
“I said, ‘Be more worried if no one’s interested in interviewing any of them,’” Payton told Benson.
Payton and the Broncos are now tasked with filling four vacancies on their coaching staff, and that’s partly because two assistants, pass-game coordinator John Morton and tight ends coach Declan Doyle, have been hired as the new offensive coordinators with the Detroit Lions and Chicago Bears, respectively. Morton will replace Ben Johnson, now the head coach of the Bears, as Detroit’s play caller. Doyle won’t have play-calling duties under Johnson, but it is nonetheless a big step up in game-planning responsibility for a young coach who spent his past two seasons with the Broncos after spending the previous four seasons as an offensive assistant in New Orleans (three with Payton).
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“I feel like I have a number of coaches on this staff that someday when I’m just sitting on a golf course, I’ll be able to look at a picture and see these guys in those positions,” Payton said at season’s end. “That starts with the very beginning process of hiring the right people. … It’s the product of winning, though. It’s the product of winning.”
Payton also will be searching for a new special teams coordinator after firing Ben Kotwica shortly after Denver’s 31-7 wild-card loss to the Buffalo Bills earlier this month. Payton also parted ways with inside linebackers coach Greg Manusky, the NFL Network first reported Tuesday, leaving the veteran head coach with at least four spots to fill.
The Broncos have not announced any interviews for the open positions, but there are Payton connections who could make sense as candidates.
An in-house option for the special teams role, Chris Banjo, has reportedly received interest from several other teams for the same position, including an interview with the San Francisco 49ers. Banjo is a former NFL defensive back who played under Payton (Saints) and defensive coordinator Vance Joseph (Arizona Cardinals) at various points in his NFL career. He spent his final pro season with the Cardinals in 2022 and immediately joined Denver’s staff as the assistant special teams coordinator in 2023. He took on greater responsibility in the room midway through this season after Mike Westhoff, the assistant head coach who oversaw the special teams operation, left the team for medical reasons.
Payton also has a strong connection to former Saints special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi, who became the team’s interim head coach this season after Dennis Allen was fired after a Week 7 loss to the Broncos. Rizzi, who has interviewed for the permanent, still-to-be-filled head coach job with the Saints, was the special teams coordinator in New Orleans during Payton’s final three seasons there. He spent the prior decade coaching special teams with the Miami Dolphins.
One option to fill the pass-game coordinator role could be adding that title to quarterbacks coach Davis Webb, who has spent the past two seasons on Payton’s staff. Webb was instrumental in developing Bo Nix, whose 29 touchdown passes in 2024 were the second-most by a rookie quarterback in NFL history. The double-title role would be similar to what Ronald Curry, another former Payton assistant, has in Buffalo as the team’s passing-game coordinator and quarterbacks coach.
Davis Webb played an instrumental role in Bo Nix’s successful rookie season. (Dustin Bradford / Getty Images)
One name to watch for the newly vacated inside linebackers assistant role in Denver is Rob Ninkovich. The former NFL linebacker and defensive end was part of Payton’s first draft class (fifth round, 2006) in New Orleans and played two different one-season stints with the Saints before ultimately spending the final eight seasons of his career with the New England Patriots, two of which ended in Super Bowl victories. Ninkovich attended a Broncos practice during Payton’s first training camp in Denver, and he said during a recent interview with Betway.com that Payton has “contacted me a couple times about working together.”
“One opportunity was with the Saints, and when you have young kids it’s really difficult to jump into that profession because of the time commitment and the potential for movement,” Ninkovich said. “When Sean was in Denver, another opportunity popped up for me, and again you have to make sure that everybody’s on the same page because we’re going to do this, we’re going to be all in.”
Ninkovich coached high school football this year, and though it’s unclear whether he’s ready to go “all in,” it appears there will be NFL opportunities if and when he’s ready for them.
Even with shuffling ahead, there will still be continuity at key spots on Denver’s coaching staff. Joseph appears set to return for his third season as the team’s defensive coordinator in 2025. He conducted a defense last season that had a franchise-record 63 sacks and finished the regular season ranked third in opponent scoring (18.3 points per game) and seventh in opponent total offense (317.1 yards per game). Joseph subsequently had interviews for head coach roles with the Las Vegas Raiders and New York Jets, but those positions were filled by Pete Carroll and former Payton assistant Aaron Glenn, respectively.
Joseph will continue working with secondary coach Jim Leonhard, who drew interest from other NFL teams for defensive coordinator roles but is expected to remain in Denver for a second season with the Broncos. Leonhard was instrumental in developing cornerback Riley Moss, who provided a stable outside presence as a first-year starter opposite Defensive Player of the Year finalist Pat Surtain II.
Expect Payton to have his new staff fully in place by the time he and other coaches head to next month’s NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.
Broncos help Colorado high schools
The Broncos on Tuesday announced a massive investment that will result in the distribution of new, state-of-the-art Riddell Axiom football helmets to each of the 277 high school tackle football programs in Colorado. The move comes on the heels of a Broncos-led initiative to have girls flag football sanctioned as a varsity sport with the Colorado High School Activities Association (CHSAA).
The newest initiative, which began as an idea at a Broncos Foundation board meeting last August, will ultimately deliver 15,000 helmets to programs across the state — from 6-man to 5A classifications — at no cost to the schools. The team said in a statement that it is “the largest philanthropic investment in Broncos history.”
“It is hard to wrap your mind around an initiative that will have the kind of impact this one will have,” CHSAA commissioner Mike Krueger said Tuesday.
Some Broncos use the Axiom model. Helmets are customized for each player through a 3D imaging system that ensures the proper fit to improve impact response. In addition to the helmets, each school will receive a four-year subscription to InSite Analytics and a Riddell Sideline Device that monitors and analyzes team impact history. The data produced, Krueger said, will help coaches structure workouts to reduce head injuries.
(Top photo: Justin Edmonds / Getty Images)
Payton has been with the Saints since 2006 and has led the team to a Super Bowl victory in 2009. He is known for his offensive prowess and innovative play-calling, making him a desirable candidate for any team in need of a head coach.
However, it remains to be seen if Payton is interested in leaving the Saints for the Broncos. The two teams would have to negotiate a trade for Payton, as he is still under contract with the Saints. Additionally, Payton may be hesitant to leave the stability and success he has found in New Orleans.
As the Broncos continue their search for a new head coach, they will have to consider all their options and make the best decision for the future of the team. Payton may be a long shot, but he could bring a winning mentality and offensive firepower to a team in need of a spark.
Stay tuned for updates on the Broncos coaching search and potential candidates for the job. The team is at a crossroads and the decisions they make in the coming weeks could have a lasting impact on the franchise.
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