Sean Payton made his stance clear without being prompted.
“I’m picking the Eagles,” Payton declared Monday while being introduced as the new head coach of the Denver Broncos. “We never want anyone in our division to win anything, right? A perfect weekend for a Bronco fan is we get a win, and the other three lose.”
Payton mentioned he would be working Super Bowl 57 between the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs in his final week as an analyst on Fox NFL Kickoff.
Having spent his NFL coaching career in the NFC, Payton’s background includes roles with the Giants, Eagles, and Cowboys before his 15-season tenure as head coach of the New Orleans Saints. His journey even saw a stint with the Cowboys under Bill Parcells after a demotion from the Giants.
As Payton took charge of the struggling Broncos on Monday, he emphasized his lack of concern over the competition in the AFC West — specifically Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs, and Justin Herbert and the Chargers. The Chiefs have dominated the division for seven consecutive years.
“A lot of people said to me, ‘Hey, you’re going to a place where you’ve got (to face) Kansas City, and the Chargers obviously with a young quarterback in (Justin) Herbert, and Vegas trying to turn it around,’” Payton remarked. “But I spent more time looking inward towards the team than outwards towards the (divisional) opponents.”
During his 15 seasons in New Orleans, Payton achieved a 161-97 record, including playoffs, before stepping down last year following Drew Brees’ retirement. Under his leadership, the Saints triumphed over the Colts in Super Bowl XLIV in 2010.