“The fate of Sean Payton as Denver Broncos head coach hangs in the balance. If the team performs poorly or struggles on offense and defense, he might be fired after just one season. However, if the Broncos have a winning season, show improvement, or have a promising young team, Payton could be kept for a second season.
The decision rests with the Broncos’ owners and management. They will consider factors like team performance, player turnover, and internal harmony. Ultimately, their choice will shape the Broncos’ future. Join my Quora Spaces to stay updated on sports news and team decisions!”
His ability as a play caller has never been in question. He was hired by the Broncos because of his offensive genius, and that has never been the issue for him. Since rejoining the Patriots, he’s helped them win two more Super Bowls by constantly adapting his game plan to changing circumstances and personnel.
One would hope that he has learned a much-needed lesson in humility over the previous five years. When McDaniels was first hired, he was both arrogant and insecure, convinced of his own greatness and eager to make his mark and leave Belichick’s shadow behind for good. Unfortunately for Denver, McDaniels had been given full control of personnel as well as coaching decisions; he used this power to explore a trade for Jay Cutler, infuriating the Broncos’ Pro Bowl quarterback and forcing Denver to trade him. After alienating players like Cutler and wide receiver Brandon Marshall, McDaniels doubled down on his mistakes by reaching for offensive players like Knowshon Moreno and Tim Tebow in the draft, convinced that he was good enough to turn them into stars. He did what he wanted to do, not what was best for the franchise.
Since that time, McDaniels has come to understand the mistakes he’s made. He’s said he’s come to understand the importance of listening, and hopefully he can take that lesson to heart.
It’s important for McDaniels to be paired with a strong GM in his next head coaching job (which now appears to be Indianapolis). Chris Ballard has only held that role for a year with the Colts, but his initial steps appear to be mostly positive, so hopefully he can serve as a good balance for McDaniels. Jim Irsay is not the model of stability as an owner, so he’s not an ideal pairing for McDaniels, but as long as Irsay has the good sense to trust the guys he’s hired it shouldn’t be an issue.
Now that he’s older and wiser, I expect McDaniels’ second stint as a head coach to be much better than the first. As long as he doesn’t go too far in his overeagerness to prove how much he’s changed – remember, his zeal and ambition was his undoing the last time around, along with his inexperience. But if he keeps his head, delegates responsibilities appropriately, his undeniable football acumen should enable him to do quite well in Indianapolis.
