Happy Friday! Anybody else getting hit with a cold front today? It’s easy to talk about the biggest splash stories day-to-day, but amongst all of the coaching moves we are about to see, let’s hone in on one of the 8 remaining coaches, one who has seen the spotlight a lot in his career! 🐴

There is so much going on in the football world.  It seems as if the sports media pundits on the air get paid by the number of times they say “coaching carousel” or “hot seat” or have you heard this one, “Superman will have to put on his cape” or how about “oh man he’s under the most pressure” because if he doesn’t do it this year “his Superbowl window” will be closed. Really?

Today, let's focus on coaching.  No, not Tomlin or Harbaugh.  Let's talk about Sean Payton. Cocky or Arrogant? Yes. Controversial? Sure. Love him or hate him, but he is the most tenured coach by far in the remaining playoff teams and a Super Bowl Champ.  Let's try for a minute to forget the first thing that comes to mind when Sean Payton comes up.  

Did you know he was a Quarterback in the NFL in 1987 (1 million bonus points if you know what team) before trading in his cleats for a clipboard and long hours in the film room?  For the next 10 years, he gained valuable experience on the offensive side of the ball with several college programs before getting into the NFL in 1997 as a Quarterbacks Coach with the Eagles. He then went to the Giants in 1999, to the Cowboys in 2003, all before becoming Head Coach of the Saints in 2006 for the next 15 years.  Oh, by the way, he won Coach of the Year in his very first year with the Saints, turning a 3-13 record the previous season into taking the Saints to their first NFC Championship game in franchise history in 2006.  In 2009, they won the Super Bowl! 

He stayed on as Head Coach until 2021.  After taking some time off, he accepted the Head Coach position of the Broncos in 2023, and here we are in the thick of the 2025 playoffs, where they are sitting (kinda) pretty as the #1 seed in the AFC.  When the pundits talk about “Superman putting the cape on” in Denver in order to win, I think they only have it half right.  There will be another guy wearing a cape, too.  Think what you will of the man, but Sean Payton has been coaching for almost forty years. If for nothing else, you have to respect his love, dedication, and sacrifice for the game. We have a truly beautiful sports story that will unfold this Saturday at 4:30 pm.

As far as the first thing people think about when they think about Sean Payton, of course…

It was his gutsiest play call ever to start the second half of Super Bowl 44 with a surprise onside kick that they recovered!  What did you think I was referring to?

Happy Friday!

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