It’s critical for an NFL coach and an NFL General Manager to be on the same page, at all times. And it’s ideal for the coach and G.M. to work together, and remain together, as long as possible.
Sean Payton had that in New Orleans, where he partnered with G.M. Mickey Loomis for Payton’s entire 16-year tenure with the team. Payton has it now in Denver, with G.M. George Paton.
In the wake of Paton signing a new contract that runs through 2030 (his prior deal was due to expire after 2026), Payton was asked at a rookie minicamp press conference about the Payton-Paton partnership.
“I said this to [Paton] the other day, and look — in our league, it’s almost half the battle,” Payton said. “I said to him, I said, ‘Man, I consider myself very fortunate to have been with one General Manager in New Orleans who I would call a very close friend and a great working partner,’ and then to find another person like George.
“I know that we both feel the same way. We love the grind together. He’s a tremendous asset and all, and he’s very good at what he does. I think we complement each other. I am super excited for him. I said that to you guys at the Combine, it was just a matter of time. We think alike in a lot of cases.”
Paton, who got the job both before Payton was hired and before current ownership bought the team, has thrived due to his ability both to do the basic requirements of the job and to navigate working with the other key members of a pro football operation.
It’s about finding the right way to work toward the same goal and, most importantly, it’s about figuring out how to weather the periodic and inevitable storms in a way that strengthens the relationships. Those who can set aside their personal interests for the greater good tend to figure it out.
Paton has done that. Payton has done that. It’s no surprise that the Broncos have become a short-list championship contender, or that the franchise has had a record rate of season-ticket renewals. After a long stretch of struggling since turning the final year of the Peyton Manning era into a Super Bowl win, the new Pa(y)tons have turned the Broncos into a team that could win another one.
Or maybe two.