Sean Payton’s night started with a pregame interview and ended with one of the more talked-about clips from Thursday’s Broncos-Seahawks matchup.
Before Denver kicked off against Seattle on Oct. 15, Payton was on the field at Empower Field at Mile High speaking with Prime Video’s Charissa Thompson.
When the conversation wrapped, the Broncos coach put his arm around Thompson, leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. The cameras caught the whole thing, and the moment quickly spread across social media.
For plenty of viewers, it came off as an awkward finish to a routine interview. Others didn’t think it should have become such a big deal. Either way, the brief exchange was impossible to miss once the footage started circulating.
There is a reason the greeting may not have been quite as random as it first appeared. Payton and Thompson have crossed paths before, and their shared background helps explain why the interaction seemed so familiar.
Payton spent the 2022 season in television after stepping away from the New Orleans Saints following the 2021 NFL season. During that time, he worked at Fox Sports as an analyst, and Thompson was part of the network’s NFL coverage. Their time in the same broadcasting orbit gives Thursday’s moment some context, even if it didn’t stop the online conversation.
Neither Payton nor Thompson has publicly addressed the attention around the clip, and there’s nothing suggesting the exchange was anything more than a friendly hello between former colleagues.
The bigger problem for Payton came after the interview. Denver’s offense sputtered through a rough night, finishing with just 168 total yards against Seattle. Bo Nix managed only 107 passing yards, and the Broncos had to survive a Seahawks rally that forced overtime.
Still, Denver got the result. Ja’Quan McMillian picked off Sam Darnold, Wil Lutz drilled a 53-yard field goal, and the Broncos escaped with a 17-14 win to improve to 4-2.
Payton may not have expected his pregame greeting with Thompson to become one of the night’s most replayed moments. But with the game over and Denver sitting on a win, that was only part of the strange evening.
In Other News...
Broncos Suddenly Face A Brutal Thursday Test In The Secondary
Denver is staring at a quick turnaround with its secondary suddenly in rough shape for Thursday nights game against Seattle. The Broncos are already planning without Patrick Surtain II and Talanoa Hufanga, a pair of important defensive backs whose absence changes the look of the back end just as the team prepares for a Seahawks offense that still has plenty of passing-game firepower.
The concern gets sharper with Riley Moss listed as questionable because of a rib injury, which could leave Denver stretched thin in a key area of the field. Seattle has some injury issues of its own, including linebacker Drake Thomas, linebacker Chazz Surratt and running back Zach Charbonnet, but Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Leonard Williams are expected to play, so the Broncos may still be looking at a demanding test under the prime-time lights. [Read more 🡒]
Broncos Face A Brutal Week 6 Test In The Secondary
Denvers secondary is heading into Week 6 with some real uncertainty as it prepares for Seattle, and the timing is hardly ideal. Patrick Surtain II and Talanoa Hufanga are both out with ankle injuries, while Riley Moss is listed as questionable, leaving the Broncos thinner than usual in a part of the defense that is usually built to travel and match up.
Seattle brings a clear focal point in Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who has become the centerpiece of the passing game and the kind of receiver Denver has to account for on every snap. With the back end shorthanded, the Broncos may have to lean on coverage adjustments and a steadier pass rush to keep the Seahawks from dictating the rhythm of the game. [Read more 🡒]
Broncos Pass Rush Hinges On Jonathon Coopers Uncertain NFL Status
Jonathon Coopers status has become one of the key questions hovering over Denvers pass rush as the outside linebacker remains on the NFL commissioners exempt list while his domestic violence case continues. The league is monitoring the matter under its personal conduct policy, leaving the Broncos in a holding pattern with a player who had been part of their edge-rushing plans and now cannot take the field while the process plays out.
The uncertainty is especially tricky because there is still a path, however unsettled, for Cooper to be back during the middle of the season if circumstances change. For now, though, Denver has to plan without knowing when or whether he will be available, and that lingering unknown could shape how the Broncos manage one of their most important defensive spots for weeks to come. [Read more 🡒]