Sean Payton considered handing Broncos' job to Bill Belichick (here's why)
· Yahoo Sports
When you look at it on its face, it seems nearly impossible. When you think about it more closely, could it have been a match made in heaven?
In Seth Wickersham's recent ESPN article featuring an in-depth look at the AFC playoff journey through the eyes of Denver Broncos coach Sean Payton, Wickersham reveals that the 2024 squad could have looked radically different. In his article, Wickersham said that Payton considered bringing New England Patriots legend Bill Belichick on as the head coach of the Broncos, while Payton would take on an assistant head coaching role, in charge of the offense.
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Belichick was let go by the Patriots ahead of the 2024 season, and remained out of football until he was hired as the head coach of the University of North Carolina Tar Heels in 2025.
Payton's proposal would have been to have Belichick lead Denver to at least 15 wins, enough to pass Hall of Fame coach Don Shula on the NFL's all-time wins list, and then Payton would take over as head coach.
Payton and Belichick both come from the legendary coaching tree of Bill Parcells; Payton in Dallas, Belichick in New York (Giants and Jets) and New England, and both share a mutual respect for each other. Belichick was known for his stifling and innovative defenses, while Payton has been praised as one of the most successful offensive masterminds of his era. With strong defensive acumen from Belichick and offensive genius from Payton, one can only imagine how far the 2024 (and possibly 2025) Broncos could have gone.
"In the end, it was too complicated -- and maybe too fanciful," Wickersham wrote of Payton's idea.
Maybe it's for the best that Payton ultimately kept the head coaching job. Since Belichick was fired in 2024, the Patriots have reached a Super Bowl (but failed to get over the hump). In that same time, Payton has gone 24-10, with two playoff appearances.
Now, with Payton still leading the charge, the question remains: How far can the 2026 iteration of the Broncos go?
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This article originally appeared on Broncos Wire: Sean Payton considered handing Broncos' job to Bill Belichick (here's why)