Why Sean Payton Almost Stepped Aside to Let Bill Belichick Coach the Broncos

Sean Payton nearly stepped aside in 2024 as Bill Belichick became the hypothetical choice to coach the Broncos, according to an ESPN account cited in the article. After Belichick’s divorce from the Patriots following a 4–13 season in 2023, the then-71-year-old reportedly found limited traction on the NFL head-coaching market despite interviewing with the Falcons twice, including once with owner Arthur Blank on his superyacht. Belichick was passed over by the league for 2024 and instead took a year off before returning at the college level as head coach of North Carolina in late 2025. ESPN’s Seth Wickersham reports that Payton considered proposing a plan to Broncos owner Greg Penner: hire Belichick as head coach temporarily until he reached 15 wins to surpass Don Shula’s 347 total, with Payton stepping down to assistant head coach and running the offense before returning afterward. Ultimately, the idea was too complicated. The article notes Payton’s Broncos record of 32–19 over three seasons, including a 14–3 2025 run, top seed in the AFC playoffs, and an elimination by the Patriots in the conference title game.