As the Broncos take the field tonight, they’re not just chasing another win - they’re chasing history. With a victory, Denver would notch its 13th win of the season, a benchmark that’s becoming familiar territory for head coach Sean Payton.
He’s hit that mark four times before during his time in New Orleans. One more, and he joins an exclusive club: only Bill Belichick has more 13-win seasons as a head coach, with seven.
Barring a major upset - and with the Broncos favored by two touchdowns, it would be a stunner - Payton looks poised to hit that milestone again. But this season is about more than just stacking wins. There’s a bigger prize in sight, one that no head coach has ever claimed: winning a Super Bowl with two different franchises.
That’s the kind of legacy-defining achievement Payton is eyeing. And the path is starting to line up.
If the Broncos win out, they’ll lock up the No. 1 seed in the AFC. That would mean home-field advantage all the way through the playoffs - two games in the altitude of Denver before a potential trip to Santa Clara, where the Super Bowl returns for the first time since the Broncos last hoisted the Lombardi Trophy.
Payton’s track record in 13-win seasons is impressive - he did it in 2009, 2011, 2018, and 2019 with the Saints. Belichick, of course, set the standard with seven such campaigns: 2003, 2004, 2007, 2010, 2011, 2016, and 2017. But even with all that success, not even Belichick has done what Payton is now chasing.
Plenty of legendary coaches have come close. Don Shula, Bill Parcells, Dan Reeves, Dick Vermeil, Mike Holmgren, John Fox, and Andy Reid have all led two different franchises to the Super Bowl.
But none of them managed to win it with both. It’s a feat that remains untouched, a rare air even among the game’s greats.
And here’s the thing - every coach who’s won it once and moved on knows just how hard it is to do it again, especially with a new team. The NFL doesn’t hand out second chances easily, and turning a new team into a title contender is a massive undertaking, even for the best.
There are a handful of current coaches who could eventually get a shot at this unique slice of history. Nick Sirianni, if he ends up at the helm of another team.
Andy Reid, if he ever takes on a third act. Sean McVay, if he decides to lead a different franchise down the line.
Even Bill Belichick, if he returns to the NFL after his stint at UNC and finds the right situation. Pete Carroll, John Harbaugh, and Mike Tomlin could also enter the conversation, should they start fresh with new teams in the coming years.
And yes, Jon Gruden’s name still lingers in the background - if he ever returns to coaching with a team other than the Buccaneers, he’d be in the mix as well.
But right now, none of those scenarios are in motion. Sean Payton has the clearest shot - and the most immediate one.
With a loaded roster, a resurgent defense, and a team that’s peaking at the right time, the Broncos are more than just a feel-good story. They’re a legitimate contender, and Payton is right at the center of it all.
If he can finish the job, he won’t just add another ring to his résumé. He’ll carve out a place in NFL history that no one else has touched.