Sean Payton has had quite the NFL career, dating back to 2000. For three seasons, he served as the New York Giants‘ offensive coordinator before taking the job most NFL fans associate with Payton.
In 2006, Payton was hired by the New Orleans Saints as their head coach. It took only three seasons for the Saints to become Super Bowl champions. Payton then coached the Saints for the next 11 seasons (including a full 2012 season suspension).
In 2022, Payton stepped down as the head coach of the Saints, but it was categorized more as a recharge than an actual retirement. Payton only took a one-year hiatus from the NFL.
During this off-time, Payton worked for Fox as a studio analyst for the 2022 NFL season. Payton would primarily fill in for Jimmie Johnson when he was off, but he never did call a game as a broadcaster.
While fulfilling his role at Fox, Payton began interviewing for head coaching positions and ultimately landed in Denver.
He was then traded to the Denver Broncos in 2023, where he is currently the head coach. This was following the acquisition of Russell Wilson, whom the Broncos thought could help return their franchise to AFC contention.
The Sporting News has the full breakdown of Payton’s contract situation.
MORE 2026 NFL PLAYOFF NEWS:
Sean Payton contract
Once Payton was able to sign with the Broncos, he agreed on a five-year contract in February 2023.
The deal holds Payton under contract through 2027 and pays him roughly $18 million annually, making him among the highest-paid head coaches entering the 2025 season.
However, the Broncos were not done paying for their guy, as there were other costs associated with Payton’s coaching rights.
Highest-paid NFL head coaches
Heading into the 2025 season, these were the estimated highest-paid head coaches in the NFL based on average annual salary.
| Rank | Coach | Team | Annual Salary |
| 1 | Andy Reid | KC | $20 million |
| 2 | Sean Payton | DEN | $18 million |
| 3 | Jim Harbaugh | LAC | $16 million |
| T-4 | Sean McVay | LAR | $15 million |
| T-4 | Nick Sirani | PHI | $15 million |
| T-6 | Kyle Shanahan | SF | $14 million |
| T-6 | Mike Vrabel | NE | $14 million |
| T-8 | Ben Johnson | CHI | $13 million |
| T-8 | Kevin O’Connell | MIN | $13 million |
Sean Payton trade
While it’s not all that common, Payton was indeed traded from the Saints to the Broncos.
In NFL history, there have been eight significant head coach trades. The very first one dates back to 1970, when Don Shula was traded from the Miami Dolphins to the Baltimore Colts.
Some notable coach trades include Bruce Arians from the Cardinals to the Buccaneers, Herm Edwards from the Jets to the Chiefs, and Jon Gruden from the Raiders to the Buccaneers.
As it relates to Payton, when he stepped down as head coach of the New Orleans Saints, he was still under contract. As a result, the Saints held onto his coaching rights and eventually traded them away to the Broncos in 2023.
In return, the Saints received the Broncos’ 2023 first-round pick and their 2024 second-round pick. These picks turned into DT Bryan Bresee from Clemson and CB Kool-Aid McKinstry out of Alabama.
Along with the coaching rights to Payton, Denver also got the Saints’ 2024 third-round pick. This pick ended up being Jonah Eliss out of Utah.
