Broncos ‘given permission to speak to Sean Payton’ as Denver looks at ex-Saints coach

The New Orleans Saints have given the Broncos permission to interview Sean Payton for the open head coaching job in Denver, ESPN first reported Saturday.

The Broncos are trying to replace Nathaniel Hackett, who was fired Dec. 26 after a 4-11 run in his first season on the job. Denver goes 4-12 into Sunday’s finals at home to the Los Angeles Chargers.

Payton, 59, resigned in January after 15 seasons as head coach of the Saints. The Super Bowl-winning coach has been linked to the job on Twitter since the Broncos made a switch.

With his contract with the Saints not yet up, they would receive compensation from any team advancing into the contract negotiation phase with Payton.

Former Saints coach Sean Payton could speak to the Broncos about the vacancy

In 2019, he agreed to a five-year extension that keeps him signed with the Louisiana franchise through the end of the 2024 season.

ESPN said that following an NFL ruling, any team wishing to interview Payton in person cannot do so until Jan. 17.

The Saints and Broncos do not have to agree on compensation for the coach before an interview takes place, according to the report.

Following the firing of Nathaniel Hackett, Denver owner and CEO Greg Penner stated that he would be the first choice to fill the position.

The Denver Broncos officially fired head coach Nathaniel Hackett the day after Christmas

“I will be leading our head coaching search with the support of our ownership group and George [Paton]who I trust as general manager,” he said.

“We recognize and appreciate the championship history of this organization and we understand that we have not lived up to that standard. Our fans deserve much better and I cannot stress enough their loyalty during such a challenging time for our team.

He had a 152-89 record with the Saints and, after the 2009 season, led them to a win in Super Bowl XLIV, the only championship in franchise history.

If Payton went to Denver, he could bring in ex-Broncos HC Vic Fangio as his defensive coordinator