The Denver Broncos are 6-5 and within reach of making the playoffs, and former NFL coach Bill Belichick has taken notice.
During his appearance on The Pat McAfee Show on Monday, Belichick suggested that Broncos coach Sean Payton should be in consideration for Coach of the Year honors.
Technically, Belichick said “Executive of the Year” for the way Payton has managed the team, but that’s not an award Payton would qualify for.
“I think Sean really should be in the running for — whatever, Executive of the Year or whatever you want to call it,” Belichick said. “I mean, to play with, you know, a team that’s 30% under the strength based on the salary cap and the dead money that they had to carry.
“They don’t even have a full team here from a salary cap standpoint. But these guys are playing really well and they’re in a tough division, but seems like they’re getting better. And they’re good on defense.”
“The Denver Broncos have played very well defensively and Sean Payton is a great coach..
Bo Nix is a really smart guy and he seems to keep getting better” ~ Bill Belichick #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/b5PPRoN9Sa
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) November 18, 2024
The Broncos took on a $53 million dead money cap hit this spring when they released quarterback Russell Wilson. Despite that, Denver’s been competitive this fall, which is no small feat.
Belichick also spoke about the fit Nix has been in Payton’s offense as a rookie.
“Sean runs a tough offense,” Belichick said. “He does. They substitute almost on every play. They change formations a lot. They don’t repeat plays — they repeat concepts but not plays. There’s a lot for the quarterback to do to get things organized cleanly, and it seems like Nix is doing a good job of it. … It’s a pretty smooth operation.”
“Bo Nix is a great decision maker and he’s operating the team the way Sean Payton wants him to..
It’s a pretty smooth operation in Denver right now” ~ Bill Belichick #PMSLive https://t.co/kLAZyOi1rt pic.twitter.com/JH7bzydvHU
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) November 18, 2024
Notable praise from one of the best coaches in NFL history. Payton and Nix appear to have the Broncos back on track.
