Two new head coach hirings emerged Tuesday. First, reports surfaced that the Denver Broncos finalized a deal with the New Orleans Saints to acquire Sean Payton as their head coach. Shortly afterward, reports emerged the Houston Texans are hiring DeMeco Ryans as their head coach.
The timing of the hirings seemed coincidental. But one report emerged the two hires were linked.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported the Broncos traded their 2023 first-round draft pick and 2024 second-round pick for Payton and the Saints 2024 third-round pick.
Payton becomes the fourth head coach traded in NFL history. However, there are conflicting reports that Payton wasn’t the Broncos’ first choice.
According to the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Broncos made a last-ditch attempt to hire Ryans. But Ryans stayed committed to the Texans, forcing the Broncos to move on and land Payton.
Schefter refuted the report, stating the Broncos made no contact with Ryans this week and were “zeroed” in on Payton all along.
Both Schefter and Rapoport are well-respected. There is no reason for either to make up a report. The conflicting reports may very well be a case of a battle of sources. Rapoport relayed the information he gathered from his source(s). Schefter then shared his information that happened to contradict Rapoport.
Ryans emerged as a top candidate after his marvelous work the last two seasons as the San Francisco 49ers’ defensive coordinator. The 49ers’ defense ranked first in yards and points allowed, as well as second in takeaways.
Ryans signed a six-year deal with the Texans. The 49ers were beaten in the NFC Championship by the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday. Now, Ryans returns to the team that drafted him in 2006 as a head coach.
Before Ryans’s surge, Payton was considered the top head coach candidate. He interviewed with several teams before landing in Denver. Payton gets tasked with refining a Broncos offense led by quarterback Russell Wilson after a disastrous season under Nathaniel Hackett.
Payton comes in with an impeccable resume. He won a Super Bowl with the Saints. He also helped to redefine quarterback Drew Brees into a future Hall of Fame player. If Rapoport is correct, Payton is a great consolation prize for the Broncos.
