Sean Payton Emerges as Highest-Paid Coach in U.S. Sports Amidst Russell Wilson Benching Controversy

Bill Belichick’s removal as HC has left a huge void. And that void has been immediately filled by Sean Payton. After much whispering, Belichick will finally be the Head Coach of the Patriots no longer. He was raking in roughly $25 million in that role. It’s the end of an era. However, could it be the beginning for someone else?

He held the numero uno position in the list of coaches according to their salary. And no, we’re not just talking about the NFL. Belichick was the highest-paid coach of any U.S. Sports. So, how much does Sean Payton make?

What is Sean Payton’s annual salary?

Sean Payton was earlier number two. Now, with Belichick no longer a head coach, he has shot up to number one. Joe Pompliano announced the shift on X. His annual salary is $18 million. That is $2 million more than the next coach on the list. The Denver Broncos signed Russell Wilson in 2022. But could he work up the magic they had expected? The team had gone 5-12 that year.

So, in 2023, they made another big move. They brought over Payton from the New Orleans Saints. And the results began to show. They could not make it to the playoffs. Neither could they end the season with a winning record. But they did manage to end the season with their best record since 2015.

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How much of a role did Payton have to play in that? And how much of the contribution was Wilson’s? Not a lot, according to Wilson himself.

Broncos fall behind Payton’s directions

Some players were not really pleased with Payton’s decision to bench Wilson. But few others could see that he was right. After studying the film, they realized a few fatal flaws. The opportunity was there, as in, there were free players on the gridiron. All Wilson had to do was get the ball to them. But he failed to do that most times.

Payton seems to have been good for the Broncos so far. Even if he was not the magic cure that they had hoped for. And it’s clear that Payton does not like Wilson. Now there’s just one question in everyone’s mind. Will the team cut him off in March this year? And if they do, will the Broncos’ fortunes finally see a reversal?

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