Pat Surtain lauds Sean Payton’s approach towards Broncos to salvage Russell Wilson’s $242M contract - “Locked in towards the team”

Head coach Sean Payton has two essential missions upon taking over the Denver Broncos. First, he hopes to end the team’s playoff drought, dating back to 2016.

Second, he must make Russell Wilson play like a quarterback deserving of a five-year, $242.5 million contract extension.

But Pat Surtain II believes Payton’s approach to turning the Broncos into winners. The 2022 First Team All-Pro cornerback said on The Pat McAfee show:

"Coach Sean, his resume speaks for itself. You know, he's a guy that's won a Super Bowl, that's been winning at the highest level. Throughout the first couple of months here, you just tell that to the type of guy he is. He's really prepared."

He added:

"He's very dialed in and locked in towards the team. So, at the end of the day, when you get a coach like that, you know the standard, and you know what to expect. So, all the guys are fired up. We're waiting for the season to start."

Sean Payton had his first head coaching stint at any level when the New Orleans Saints hired him to replace Jim Haslett in 2006. In 15 seasons with the squad, the Saints won Super Bowl XLIV over Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts.

New Orleans also had eight seasons of at least ten victories and nine playoff appearances. Before Payton took over, the Saints made the playoffs only five times from 1967 to 2005.

Coincidentally, the Broncos last made the playoffs with Manning behind center. He led the team to victory in Super Bowl 50 to end the 2015 season. It’s the result the team envisioned after trading for Russell Wilson during the 2022 offseason.

Unfortunately, he generated only four wins in 15 starts. The one-time Super Bowl winner had career lows in completion percentage, passing touchdowns, and passer rating. He was also the most-sacked quarterback last year with 55.

Sean Payton brought an experienced coaching staff to Denver

Aside from Payton, Joe Lombardi will also take over from Justin Outten as offensive coordinator. Lombardi has been a quarterbacks coach in New Orleans for ten seasons. Meanwhile, Vance Joseph replaces Ejiro Evero as defensive coordinator.

Joseph has been a defensive coordinator for the Miami Dolphins and the Arizona Cardinals. He was also a defensive backs coach for the Houston Texans and San Francisco 49ers.

Pat Surtain II has nothing but praise for Sean Payton’s deputy.

He added:

"With Vance, he's also another defensive guru. He understands the game very well. Puts his players in positions to win. That's the big deal with him. He's a player-friendly coach. His scheme speaks for itself. So, we got a great coaching staff going on over here. We're very excited."

With the Denver Nuggets their first NBA championship, the pressure is on for Sean Payton and the Denver Broncos to deliver the same result.