Sean Payton and Dan Campbell have been crossing paths in the NFL for over 25 years now. Their connection started when Campbell was a prospect, and it has only deepened since.
In a recent interview on The Wingo Network, Payton described what he has always seen in the Lions' head coach and why none of Campbell's success has surprised him.
"I love Dan," Payton said. "I had the good fortune of being with Dan when we drafted him at the Giants. I was a coordinator, and then he joined us at the Cowboys and eventually the Saints as a coach. One of his great skill sets as a player, and there were many, you're seeing it now as a head coach. Man, he was a trench blocking, blocking tight end, physical."
Payton served as the New York Giants' quarterbacks coach and then offensive coordinator when Campbell was drafted in the third round out of Texas A&M in 1999.
They reunited at the Cowboys in 2003 when Campbell signed there as a free agent, with Payton working as OC. Then Campbell chose to join Payton's Saints staff in 2016 specifically because of their history.
What Payton says about the traits Campbell carried from player to head coach
The physical, blocking-first identity that Payton described in the interview is the same quality that has defined Campbell's teams. Detroit led the NFL in rushing in 2023, embraced fourth-down aggression as a cultural statement.
Payton expanded on what stood out when Campbell joined his coaching staff.
"When he was on our staff, very quickly he was one of the few guys I can recall just the process with him when he got the opportunity, and so it wasn't surprising once I had a chance to be around him," Payton said. "He has always been you knew exactly what you were getting, refreshingly honest, and players gravitated to him when he played; they gravitated to him when he coached as an assistant, and you see it happening now as a head coach. I think he does an outstanding job," per Heavy.
Broncos HC Sean Payton on what makes Dan Campbell a great coach:
"I love Dan. I had the good fortune of being with Dan when we drafted him at the Giants. I was a coordinator, and then he joined us at the Cowboys and eventually the Saints as a coach. One of his great skill sets… pic.twitter.com/ECV4NVWq3C
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Payton's coaching tree has produced about four coaches across the league, including Campbell, Dennis Allen, Doug Marrone, and Aaron Glenn. Of that group, Campbell has built the most sustained success. The Lions reached the NFC's No. 1 seed in 2024 before a disappointing 9-8 finish last season, with Payton's Broncos going the other direction, finishing the 2025 season at 14-3.
When the two coaches meet on the sideline this fall, the history between them runs all the way back to a Giants draft room in 1999.
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