Sean Payton Offered to Give Up Broncos HC Job to Help Bill Belichick Break Major NFL Record; but It Never Happened

Sean Payton reportedly considered helping Bill Belichick chase a major NFL record by stepping aside from the Broncos head coach role, though the plan never materialized. ESPN’s Seth Wickersham said Payton contemplated a proposal for Denver owner Greg Penner after Belichick and the Patriots separated in 2024. The idea was to hire Belichick as head coach until reaching 15 wins, which would break Don Shula’s career record of 347 total wins. Payton would have moved to assistant head coach and run the offense, then returned after Belichick surpassed Shula. Wickersham added it was too complicated. Belichick finished with 302 regular-season wins and 31 postseason wins at the time referenced, totaling 333, leaving him 15 victories short. The story also recounts their shared history under Bill Parcells.