“I still have a vision for doing things in football. And I’ll be honest with you—I might be coaching again at some point. I don’t think so this year. I think maybe in the future, but that’s not where my heart is right now.” This is what Sean Payton firmly told the media three years ago when he was stepping down as the New Orleans Saints head coach. But within two years, he landed in the NFL world again, helping his team make one playoff appearance. And while everything was going smoothly, his retirement stance was recently predicted.

On a recent episode, podcasters on ‘DNVR Broncos’ were discussing Payton’s retirement plans. As the Broncos HC completed his two years (and counting) with Denver, the host asked, “If you received $100 for being correct, how long would you guess Sean Payton keeps coaching for the Broncos?” A football fan guest replied, “He’ll go to the end of the rookie deal,” after guessing Payton will stay with the Broncos for five more years.

While Payton himself has yet to address retirement speculation directly, his situation bears a striking resemblance to another legendary coach, Kansas City Chiefs’ Andy Reid.

At 66 years old, Reid has fielded retirement questions for years, yet his passion for the game remains unwavering. After securing another Super Bowl victory, Reid made his stance clear: “I enjoy teaching. I enjoy being around the guys. I enjoy football, the game. You can’t put in the hours that we do and not enjoy it.” His love for coaching has kept him going, even as he leads one of the most dominant teams in the NFL.

Payton, at 61, finds himself at a similar crossroads. He returned to the NFL after just one year away, showing that his competitive fire hadn’t faded. While the Broncos’ recent success hasn’t reached the level of the Chiefs’ 15-2 dominance, Denver’s 10-win season was a major step forward. If Payton follows the Reid model—coaching as long as he still enjoys the game—Broncos fans shouldn’t expect him to leave anytime soon. And there’s another reason, too: there’s a possibility that Von Miller could return to Denver.

Sean Payton’s Broncos to get Von Miller again?

Von Miller was on Up and Adams with Kay Adams today. And as they were talking about Miller’s free agency and future, Kay smoothly added one question, asking him what he thought about Denver. Miller confessed his true feelings for the team—he was part of the Broncos for a staggering 10 seasons.

“I’ve always loved blue and orange… You just have to see it. It’s a fun time right now for me and my career. You just have to wait and see, take it one day at a time,” Von Miller said. He also added, “I’ve done everything I could do, and whatever’s next for me is what’s next.” And when asked directly about the Broncos’ future? Von said, “You just have to see.” Miller played his last three seasons with the Buffalo Bills, where his deal was worth $120,000,000 for six years, running through 2027. But the star outside linebacker is now a free agent and looking for a team.

In the 2024 season, he managed to sack six quarterbacks, while his total tackles reached 13. But do you know one of Von Miller’s best seasons with the Broncos? 2016. That year, he played all 16 games and recorded a total of 78 tackles, 62 of them solo. Along with that, he sacked 13.5 QBs and forced three fumbles. But even after nine seasons, his numbers haven’t fallen off a cliff. There’s still a lot of fire left in Miller. Let’s see if Sean Payton’s Denver Broncos recognize that fire and bring him back on the roster.