Last Thursday, news broke that the Denver Broncos and head coach Sean Payton agreed on a new five-year contract that would tie the head man to the franchise through the 2030 season. It replaces his previous contract that would've expired after 2028, and matches him with general manager George Paton for the same amount of time.
This transaction is arguably a tap on the figurative shoulder of the Houston Texans, as they have their own head coach in DeMeco Ryans who was actually hired in the same offseason cycle as Payton. Along with that, the two AFC contemporaries have shared a similar level of organizational success that should warrant at least the consideration of an early extension for the former NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year-turned hometown head coach.
DeMeco Ryans and Sean Payton have both been successes since 2023
In his news break of the story, ESPN Senior NFL Insider Adam Schefter said of Payton,
"Payton has led the Broncos to the third-most wins in the NFL over the past two years, including an AFC Championship Game appearance last season."
To be more specific about Payton's win totals, the Broncos are actually tied with the Detroit Lions and Seattle Seahawks for third-most wins since 2024 at 24 each. With that in mind, it's interesting to then notice that Ryans and the Texans are tied with the Rams (Sean McVay) and Chargers (Jim Harbaugh) of Los Angeles at seventh-most in that same span with 22. That's only two more regular season wins' worth of difference between Ryans and Payton.
Then, expanding the scope even further, Ryans and Payton are actually tied with McVay and Andy Reid (Kansas City Chiefs) for the sixth-most wins since 2023 with 32. Thus, as far as those preliminary numbers are concerned, Ryans at least has a case that an extension should be within Houston's plans for the immediate future. At the same time, Payton has more of an edge over Ryans in this discussion due to the fact that his team has experienced higher high's throughout his tenure than Ryans' unit.
DeMeco Ryans has yet to see the heights that Sean Payton since 2023
Even though both franchises have secured two division titles since 2023, only Denver has reached a Conference Championship game within that time frame. This is where Ryans saw a bit of a gap develop between himself and Payton, as the Broncos' 14-3 season helped elevate the team to top-tier status in the AFC, while the Texans' "Jekyll and Hyde" campaign began at 0-3, finished at an impressive 12-5 but ended in catastrophic fashion in the AFC Divisional round.
While not all Ryans' fault, these kind of negotiations tend to cover all bases as it pertains to how a head coach managed the entire breadth of the team's operations within their previously contracted time of service.
Ryans has the 3-2 advantage over Payton by leading his group to more double-digit campaigns, but Payton takes the lead when it came to helping maximize his team's opportunities for contention. If it weren't for Broncos quarterback Bo Nix fracturing his ankle in the Divisional round, they most likely wouldn't beaten the New England Patriots and made the Super Bowl in Santa Clara.
The absence of postseason advancement is what hurts Ryans the most at the moment, but 2026 is shaping up to be a breathough year in that department.
DeMeco Ryans and the Texans are poised to exceed previous limitations in 2026
With a second season of offensive coordinator Nick Caley, new position coaches like Jerry Schuplinski (quarterbacks) and James Ferentz (tight ends) and general manager Nick Caserio's infusion of new talent to the roster, Ryans has been equipped with arguably the best arsenal of support he's had since his debut as head coach in 2023.
Additionally, him and Caserio's union has helped to generate the best three-year stretch of football for team in franchise history (32-19 record, three consecutive AFC Playoff berths, two division titles). If the headship of the organization truly believe that Ryans and Caserio are the best tandem for the task of reaching a Lombardi trophy in the future, then pen will be put to paper on new contract terms soon enough.
In the meantime, Ryans and co. are focused on one thing: Reaching a Super Bowl for the first time.
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