For as much as Sean Payton and the Denver Broncos have stressed their priority for coaching continuity, the fine-tuning of the staff could still be in the cards. CEO and co-owner Greg Penner will spend time meeting with GM George Paton and head coach Sean Payton for a debriefing on the staff and roster.
“We’ve got the next two weeks. I’ll be spending time with George, Greg, our coordinators and all that stuff,” Payton said during his end-of-season press conference last week. “We’ll look closely, just as we do with our own roster, at what we’re doing.”
The inevitable ebbs and flows of the NFL coaching ranks often sees intriguing names thrown back onto the market at the end of each season. This fact presents Payton with further options to flesh out his staff, particularly if he’s looking for more specific expertise or perhaps even a trusted former lieutenant.
On Tuesday, the New Orleans Saints parted ways with offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael. Carmichael spent 18 years with the organization, most of which was as Payton’s righthand man. Carmichael’s sudden availability offers a tantalizing recruitment option for Payton to consider.
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Carmichael was actually with Payton for the entirety of his tenure in the Big Easy, and his close ties, coupled with intimate knowledge of the way he works, could prove invaluable. The 52-year-old assistant coach departs New Orleans under somewhat of a cloud, especially after the Saints failed to make the playoffs, but it’s important to look beyond Carmichael’s most recent track record outside the Payton infrastructure.
A major offensive shakeup: The #Saints are moving on from OC Pete Carmichael, per me and @TomPelissero, changing their offense for the first time since 2009.
Head coach Dennis Allen needs a new offensive coordinator. pic.twitter.com/YibwJPVz1a
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 16, 2024
During their time together from 2006-21, Payton largely maintained firm control over play-calling responsibilities, and when he did give Carmichael the opportunity, he called any changes to the offense “subtle.” The duo combined to produce a whopping 10 top-five-ranked scoring offenses and finished in the top-10 in points scored 13 times.
Carmichael provided an effective bridge between Payton and Saints future Hall-of-Fame quarterback Drew Brees and was also instrumental in helping the head coach operate at maximum play-calling efficiency on gameday. Adding a familiar helping hand might be deemed necessary by the Broncos after Payton lamented his dissatisfaction with how the offense performed in 2023.
During the 2023 regular season, Payton turned 60 years old and even admitted to several errors in judgment and decision-making. It’s no stretch to imagine Payton bringing in another trusty pair of eyes to help him out.
However, just when you get a glimpse of his vulnerabilities, Payton tends to revert back to his stoic reliance on his own abilities.
“I want to get my eyes fixed, so I call the right play and I don’t mess up and call the wrong play on a play that happened one time this year. That was embarrassing,” Payton said. “Here’s the thing; I think it’s easier when you get older and more secure with who you are and what you do. When you’re younger, I think oftentimes you can be very defensive with certain things. The one thing that I know is how to win.”
Father Time remains undefeated, even in the NFL coaching ranks. In the final analysis, finding another trusted scientist to join his football laboratory would make perfect sense for Payton.
The Broncos offensive finished the season ranked No. 19 in scoring and 26 in total yards. While current offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi is also a long-time acolyte of Payton’s, he lacks the shared resume of success and high level of production the head coach has with Carmichael.
Amid the Broncos’ pursuit of a quarterback solution this offseason, Payton will surely leave no stone unturned in acquiring any and all assets feasible to improve the team’s lackluster offense. Carmichael’s sudden standing in the NFL unemployment line could turn out to be fortuitous, and the Broncos’ salary-cap overextension wouldn’t impact the team’s hiring ability on the coaching side.
The Walton/Penners are the wealthiest ownership group in the NFL, after all.
