Revisiting Sean Payton's rare NFL coach trade from Saints to Broncos

Broncos country, let's cry?

Trades for players in the NFL are pretty rare, and trades that involve head coaches are significantly more rare. Just eight times in NFL history has a trade for a head coach happened, and more often than not, the trade works out for the acquiring team.

The jury is very much still out on Sean Payton's Broncos stay, however. In January, Payton accepted the Broncos head coaching job, leaving behind the bayou for the Rocky Mountains. To that end, it's been more than a bit rocky for Payton's squad so far in 2023, with the team 1-4 with a very ugly 70-20 loss on their resume so far.

Payton may not have been the Broncos first choice. In fact, he might not have been their second choice. What he definitely is, though, was the choice, and Denver now seems to be a mile-high away from their winning ways.

Here's a quick look at the Broncos' trade for Payton, how much he's making in 2023 and how those other traded coaches fared with their new squads:

Sean Payton trade details

On Jan. 31, 2023, Payton announced he had accepted the Broncos head-coaching position, but the Saints retained his rights because of his retirement, which meant a trade would have to be struck to send Payton away.

Here's how the trade went down:

• Broncos receive: Head coach Sean Payton, Saints 2024 third-round pick
• Saints receive: Broncos 2023 first-round pick (No. 30 overall), Broncos 2024 second-round pick

In addition to Payton's trade to the Broncos, he inked a new contract that should give him plenty of runway to build a contender in Denver.

Why did the Broncos trade for Sean Payton?

In an attempt to wash the Nathaniel Hackett stench out of Denver, the Broncos exhausted every avenue to try and find their next bench boss. According to reports, there were three finalists in the running to be the next coach in Denver: DeMeco Ryans, Jim Harbaugh and Payton.

It's unclear who the team's first choice was, but they made several advances on Ryans, but he ultimately spurned Denver to take the head coaching job with the Texans. Harbaugh was also on the short list and was a favorite of the Broncos ownership group, but he decided to return to Ann Arbor to remain the University of Michigan's head coach.

That left the Broncos with Payton, retired since after the 2021 season, as the last man standing after an exhaustive process that featured nearly 10 candidates. Others included Dallas DC Dan Quinn, Rams DC Raheem Morris, former Stanford coach David Shaw, former Lions coach Jim Caldwell and current Panthers DC Ejiro Evero.

There was no denying the appeal of Payton, the former Super Bowl-winning coach. Coupling Payton's offensive mind with Russell Wilson made sense at the time for many, even if he had been out of the game for a year. 

Sean Payton contract details

While NFL coach salaries aren't publicly disclosed like player salaries, Payton's reported contract puts him in the upper echelon of coaches in the NFL. 

According to NBC's Peter King, Payton signed a contract in the "neighborhood" of $18 million per season over five years. That accounts for about $90 million all told, if the report is accurate. Some reports have indicated that Payton is making $20 million per season annually, 

List of NFL head coach trades

In NFL history, there have only been eight trades that have involved head coaches, and the moves have generally worked out.

Of the eight trades, four won Super Bowls with their acquiring team: Don Shula, Bill Belichick, Jon Gruden and Bruce Arians. Obviously, the jury's still out on whether Payton can help guide the Broncos to a title, but it's not looking likely in Year 1. 

Only one of those coaches finished with a sub-.500 record with his new squad: Herm Edwards' ill-fated tenure with the Chiefs resulted in a 39-41 mark. 

Here's the list (bolded lines indicates a coach who won a Super Bowl with his new squad):