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While the 2023 NFL Draft is underway, Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton appears to have courted controversy even before giving out plays.
Payton initially retired from coaching in early 2022, after the New Orleans Saints failed to make the playoffs for the first time in five years. However, after a year away, he auditioned for jobs in Carolina, Arizona, and Houston before landing the Denver Broncos gig.
A Twitter video has emerged purportedly of Payton smoking a bong (an apparatus for inhaling cannabis, among other herbal drugs):
It is unknown where and when the video was filmed, but the man appears to have short blonde hair in a style similar to Payton's. If this was filmed in Denver, then it would make sense for Payton to be the person in the video, since Colorado was one of the first few states to legalize the use of marijuana.
Are there other videos of NFL personalities smoking a bong?
Before the 2016 Draft, a Twitter video emerged of offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil smoking a bong attached to a gas mask:
The scandal caused Tunsil's draft stock to plummet. Initially projected to be a top-five pick, he fell all the way to 13th with the Miami Dolphins.
To be fair to Tunsil, he did put the incident behind him, becoming a three-time Pro Bowler after he was traded to the Houston Texans. However, casual fans are still more likely to associate him with the bong video.
Speaking to Complex about the stigma the video brought, he said:
“Probably one of the worst feelings I ever experienced in my life. I don’t wish that situation, that experience on nobody else.”
He also reiterated that he had long since moved on, but was still eager to prove himself:
“I don’t want the past to have any control over me. I’m in a better place, I’m in a better mindset, and, bro, I’m really done with that. And that’s why I’m talking about the situation, because clearly I’m over that.”
“To this day, I still play with the anger, because I have to prove myself, because I feel like I’m not getting the accolades I deserve because of the gas mask.”
What controversies has Sean Payton been involved in?
Back in 2012, the NFL concluded an investigation that revealed that the New Orleans Saints had been paying their defenders bonuses in exchange for deliberately injuring offensive players on the opposing side.
Payton, then the team's head coach, was identified as a key participant in attempting to cover up the program and was suspended for the 2012 season, the first punishment of its kind in league history.
Payton's second major scandal occurred last year, when the Miami Dolphins attempted to lure him out of retirement.
An investigation revealed illegal contact between the Dolphins and Payton's agent Don Yee, whom he happened to share with then-retired quarterback Tom Brady, whom the Dolphins also attempted to poach.
Miami was consequently stripped of its 2023 first-round and 2024 third-round picks, in addition to a cumulative $2 million fine for its owners.
