ENGLEWOOD, Colo — Sean Payton hasn’t compiled what is now 16 seasons of mostly success as an NFL head coach without making the occasional difficult decision.
Was the decision last week to bench Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson and replace him with Jarrett Stidham among the toughest in his career?
“Trying to figure out where it would stack or rank, I’m not sure,’’ Payton said Monday in his day-after-game Zoom news conference with local reporters. “I think always the most difficult decisions are ones where you end up – not demoting a player, or a player winds up playing less – the ones I always remember are the ones where your parting ways with a player you’ve been with a long time.’’
Wilson and the Broncos are not parting ways, at least not this week. Payton jumped ahead of questions about the game this Sunday at Las Vegas by announcing Stidham would again start, as he did in the Broncos’ 16-9 win Sunday against the Los Angeles Chargers in the final home game of 2023 at Empower Field at Mile High, and Wilson would again be the backup quarterback.
It was a drama-filled week, first with the Wilson benching itself that became known Wednesday, and then with Wilson revealing Friday that the Broncos (more specifically general manager George Paton and contract chief Rich Hurtado) told him (actually his agent Mark Rodgers) he would be benched if he didn’t move back his injury guarantee that helped protect his $37 million payout for 2025.
Payton was asked what he thought of how his team responded, given the distractions.
“I think everyone responded well,’’ Payton said. “I mean it’s our job, it’s the NFL. … Look, this team has been resilient. They’ve been tough. We’ve battled through adversity. I liked how the response was last week.”
Although Stidham missed some throws in his first start of the season and only his third start in his five-year NFL career, Payton seemed pleased overall.
“No. 1, our job is to score, and so we had opportunities in the tight red yesterday and certainly down on the 1 yard line,’’ Payton said. “That’s the first thing. I thought Jarrett did a good job after seeing the tape with his decisions, ball security, all those things that you want to see from that position. The big play to L.J. was a heckuva play by L.J. So a lot of positives to build off of.”
Stidham finished 20 of 32 for 224 yards with a 54-yard, catch-and-mostly-run touchdown pass to Lil ’Jordan Humphrey. And no interceptions and no fumbles.
“You didn’t feel like you were working with somebody who was a younger player,’’ Payton said. “You felt like you were working with somebody that had experience and was very confident.”
Payton said last week he made the quarterback change in large part because he wanted an offensive spark.
“The comments last week were a sum total of 15 games,’’ Payton said. “And yet there were some things I was real encouraged about yesterday. Certainly, if we’re going to measure it week by week, you say we scored under 20 points, that wasn’t enough. We missed out on opportunities in the red zone.
“But we were safe with the football. We look forward to this game (Sunday against the Raiders). But that was a long stretch of 15 weeks where we had seen a very similar pattern. I think that’ll change. I made the decision with the hopes that’s going to bring change. There’s no guarantee that that does. But in the meantime, it’s something I felt was necessary.”
Payton was asked whether the final game Sunday at Las Vegas would impact how his views Stidham for next year.
“I think that’s the case with every player, right?’’ Payton said. “I mean we’re constantly evaluating how they play. It would definitely carryover to next year relative to their role. But the answer would be, yes. I think these are important snaps, and game for him.’’
Other topics Payton addressed Monday:
Outside linebacker Jonathon Cooper
The third-year, seventh-round draft pick leads a young edge-rusher group with 8.5 sacks. The offseason plan was to have veterans Randy Gregory and Frank Clark anchor the Broncos’ pass rushers, but both were discarded early in the season.
“He’s playing well,’’ Payton said of Cooper. “We did not go in a youth movement. It just so happened to look that way. We just moved on from some other players. But I think he’s playing well. It’s real important to him. I would say he’s real physical. He’s kind of an edge setter. You kind of know what you’re getting from him week to week and that’s a very valuable trait.”
Courtland Sutton
The Broncos’ No.1 receiver Courtland Sutton is expected to return for the Raiders’ game after sitting out a week with concussion symptoms. There’s also hope No. 3 receiver and top returner Marvin Mims Jr. will be back from his hamstring.
With the Broncos out of playoff contention, should they return?
“It’s not tricky at all,’’ Payton said. “On game day, there aren’t players to rest everyone when the lead is, or the game is decided. There just isn’t. In college there is. Do we approach it differently? Absolutely not. We do everything in our power to win this game. It’s that important from who’s playing quarterback to who’s starting on the offensive line to who’s starting on defense. And it’s that simple.”
Broncos injuries
Payton said special teamer Dellarin Turner-Yell, who suffered a non-contact left knee injury while covering Riley Dixon’s 63-yard punt early in the first quarter, had suffered a season-ending ACL injury.
Right tackle Mike McGlinchey suffered a blow to ribs when he was struck from behind by the leading helmet of ball carrier Javonte Williams. Payton said he is “a lot more optimistic about him.”
Snapping Broncos' seven-game losing streak to the Raiders
“I don’t even know if I was aware that we had lost that many games to Las Vegas and Oakland and what have you," Payton said. "I think what would be important for us is to get to our ninth win. This is a little bit more focus on us inward. I think that element is real important.”
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