Less than a year later, the AFC West was very different.
The division’s head coaches in December 2022 were Josh McDaniels, Brandon Staley, Nathaniel Hackett, and Andy Reid.
By December of 2023, there was just Reid.
With Sean Payton leading the Denver Broncos, Antonio Pierce leading the Las Vegas Raiders, and Jim Harbaugh departing the University of Michigan to lead the Los Angeles Chargers, the division appears almost entirely different.
What is Payton’s standing among the AFC West coaches now that Harbaugh has officially joined the division?
The Broncos Crew from DNVR breaks it down.
Among the head coaches of the AFC West, where does Sean Payton stand?
Zac: Third – Behind Andy Reid in the AFC West, Sean Payton and Jim Harbaugh are tied for second place.
But Jim Harbaugh was the top choice on my board when the Broncos were looking for a coach the previous season. So even with Harbaugh now playing for the Chargers, I’ll stick to my board. Additionally, there are a ton of indications that suggest Harbaugh was the Broncos’ first option when they were searching for a coach the previous season.
However, Payton and Harbaugh are very close for the position of second-best head coach in the division.
Since he hasn’t played in the NFL since 2014, Harbaugh will need to demonstrate that he still has what it takes to succeed in the league. Apart from winning a Super Bowl, though, his four years with the San Francisco 49ers were about as wonderful as it gets.
Sadly, Jim Harbaugh gave the Chargers a significant upgrade when he replaced Brandon Staley.
The good news is that Sean Payton is also a terrific coach.
Henry: Third: The NFL’s top coach is Andy Reid. He is, of course, the AFC West’s best coach.
You might argue that Sean Payton or Jim Harbaugh are the best player in the division in the second spot, but I’ll go with Harbaugh.
During his brief tenure in the NFL in the 2010s, Harbaugh made the 49ers a consistent contender. The 49ers had not had a winning season in eight years before to Harbaugh’s arrival. They made three NFC Championship Games in four years under Harbuagh’s leadership.
Payton’s success history is extensive. In my opinion, he demonstrated his worth once more in 2023, as he helped the Broncos improve their record by three victories and supported Russell Wilson in demonstrating his continued worth as an NFL starting quarterback.
Even with the limited sample size, Harbaugh’s batting average in the NFL is too high to surpass, despite Payton being one of the league’s greatest coaches.
RK: The second one is easy for me to understand: Andy Reid and Sean Payton are the two coaches in this division who have won Super Bowls. Reid has undoubtedly earned the right to be ranked first, and they are currently tied at two.
Although Jim Harbaugh accomplished a lot with the 49ers in the past, he was never able to overcome his setbacks. As a result, I will not be including his recent accomplishment at Michigan in my ranking. As far as we are aware, there is little to no relationship between coaching success in college and the NFL.
Although Harbaugh is an excellent coach, joining the Chargers will damage his reputation.
Sean Payton won the Super Bowl and made the Saints a consistent contender out of a team that was largely irrelevant. His efforts to salvage the Broncos season the previous season were noteworthy as well. Payton is the clear choice to be No. 2.
