The Denver Broncos and Sean Payton have reached an agreement on a new five-year contract, tying the head coach to the organization through the 2030 season, according to CBS Sports Lead NFL Insider Jonathan Jones. The deal mirrors the extension recently handed to general manager George Paton in length, so the two pillars that helped make Denver an AFC finalist last season will remain together for the foreseeable future.
"Sean Payton has led an impressive turnaround over the past three seasons, instilling a winning culture with high expectations," Broncos owner Greg Penner said in a statement released by the team confirming the new contract. "I appreciate the close partnership he shares with George Paton, along with the alignment and stability across our football operations.
"We're thrilled for Sean to continue leading our team as head coach, building on our progress during such an exciting time for the Broncos."
Payton had two years remaining on his previous deal, per ESPN, but the club has since revised that with this new five-year contract.
The 62-year-old has been with the Broncos since January of 2023 after the organization traded a 2023 first and 2024 second-round pick to the New Orleans Saints to acquire his rights, along with a 2024 third-round pick. At the time of the trade, Payton had been retired from the league, last coaching New Orleans during the 2021 season.
Payton began his NFL coaching career as the quarterbacks coach for the Philadelphia Eagles in 1997. After working as an assistant with both the New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys, Payton became a head coach in 2006 with the Saints and led the franchise to a Super Bowl XLIV title.
Since arriving in Denver, Payton has helped build the Broncos into a legitimate Super Bowl contender. The club is 32-19 under Payton over the past three seasons, which includes a 14-3 regular season record last season. That was good enough to earn the No. 1 seed in the conference, along with the organization's first AFC West title since 2015.
Payton's Broncos are coming off a 2025 season during which they advanced to the AFC Championship Game, and they may have even reached the Super Bowl had it not been for starting quarterback Bo Nix suffering a season-ending ankle injury in the final moments of the team's divisional round win over Buffalo.
With Payton and Paton officially on board for the long haul, Denver will continue competing for Super Bowl titles while attempting to get over the hump.
