Throughout his first season, head coach Sean Payton has been working to reshape the Denver Broncos in his image. Deciding the fate of general manager George Paton is rumored to be next on the docket for Payton. Adam Schefter of ESPN reported on January 6 that Payton will likely have the “final say” on Paton’s job security.
“Payton and Paton have worked well together this season, and Payton is known to respect Paton and his abilities. But Payton is expected to have the final say; it is his organization, and he gets to shape it how he wants it,” Schefter said.
The report is unsurprising as quarterback Russell Wilson, Paton’s blockbuster acquisition, was benched ahead of Week 17. Despite Paton holding the title as general manager, the Super Bowl-winning coach is behind-the-scenes pulling the strings.
Denver Gazette columnist Woody Paige previously acknowledged that “Payton is the power in football personnel” in Denver. “Instead of making all the decisions in free agency and the draft, as he did with the previous coach, Paton this time won’t make a pick or a trade without Payton’s approval,” Paige wrote in his column published on April 1, 2023.
On December 5, NFL insider Jason La Canfora of The Washington Post reported “rumblings” about Paton not returning. The Wilson benching might inevitably be the final straw for Paton in Denver. Wilson was traded to the Broncos in March 2022 and received a five-year $245 million contract extension ahead of the regular season. Giving such a contract to an aging quarterback will cost Denver mightily for the next two offseasons.
