Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton and GM George Paton have guts.
You can’t question that.
They like their roster so much that Payton and Paton are basically running it back for the 2026 NFL season.
By now free agency is more than a week old and the Broncos’ top-two decision makers have had a boring offseason. Sure, bringing back J.K. Dobbins is an alright move if he can stay healthy next year. Based on how his career has played out thus far, that’s a big if.
Denver reportedly checked in on Travis Etienne before he landed with the New Orleans Saints. Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III is headed to the Kansas City Chiefs. And every other big-name free agent running back found a new home that wasn’t in Broncos Country.
Look, Denver went 14-3 and reached the AFC Title Game just a couple of months ago. If Bo Nix hadn’t broken his ankle against the Buffalo Bills, the Broncos likely would’ve topped the New England Patriots and played in the Super Bowl. Beating the Seattle Seahawks would’ve been a remarkable feat, but with Nix anything felt possible.
On one hand, you have to like the confidence of Payton and Paton. They know they were a fluke injury away from potentially hoisting the Lombardi Trophy. Why not retain almost all of their own guys and give it another shot next season?
On the other hand, this feels cocky, arrogant and like borderline malpractice from the head coach and GM. The rest of the NFL has spent the last eight days getting better, the Broncos have not.
In essence, Sean Payton and George Paton are betting their reputations on this baffling inactivity. They think they’re so good at coaching and roster construction that the job is basically done. That’s a massive gamble, one that could affect how owner / CEO Greg Penner and the fanbase view them this time next year.
Yes the NFL Draft is in a little more than a month away and the Broncos have nine picks. But their first one isn’t until No. 30, a testament to how well last season went.
If cornerback Jahdae Barron, the first-rounder in 2025 saw the field minimally as a rookie, how big of an impact is a pick three slots before Round 2 really going to make? Many mocks have Denver selecting a safety, a position they already have two starters in Brandon Jones and Talanoa Hufanga.
Long story short, blowing off free agency doesn’t mean the draft is going to be some home run, full of players who make an immediate difference.
This perplexing offseason approach could ultimately benefit Sean Payton and George Paton. Perhaps they do have one of the best rosters in the league and there was no need to make any major changes. Overpaying in free agency is definitely something they didn’t want to do.
At the same time, it could also blow up in the Broncos’ face. If they take a step back with a tougher schedule and go 9-8, 10-7 or 11-6, that’s almost certainly a wild card berth with the Chiefs or Chargers winning the AFC West.
That would mean three victories in three road games (most likely) to make the Super Bowl. It’s a far cry from January when Denver needed to win only two home games to go fight for a title. The No. 1 seed in the NFL is heavily rewarded and due to Nix’s fractured ankle the Broncos couldn’t properly take advantage.
No sane person is calling for the job of Sean Payton, or even George Paton, who’s recovered nicely after the Nathaniel Hackett and Russell Wilson debacles.
However, if this season goes poorly or doesn’t meet expectations, people are going to remember back to March of 2026. That was the month Payton and Paton essentially declared they’re the smartest guys in the room.
It’s a bold strategy, let’s see if it pays off.