It’s critical for an NFL coach and an NFL General Manager to be on the same page, at all times. And it’s ideal for the coach and G.M. to work together, and remain together, as long as possible.
Sean Payton had that in New Orleans, where he partnered with G.M. Mickey Loomis for Payton’s entire 16-year tenure with the team. Payton has it now in Denver, with G.M. George Paton.
In the wake of Paton signing a new contract that runs through 2030 (his prior deal was due to expire after 2026), Payton was asked at a rookie minicamp press conference about the Payton-Paton partnership.
“I said this to [Paton] the other day, and look — in our league, it’s almost half the battle,” Payton said. “I said to him, I said, ‘Man, I consider myself very fortunate to have been with one General Manager in New Orleans who I would call a very close friend and a great working partner,’ and then to find another person like George.
“I know that we both feel the same way. We love the grind together. He’s a tremendous asset and all, and he’s very good at what he does. I think we complement each other. I am super excited for him. I said that to you guys at the Combine, it was just a matter of time. We think alike in a lot of cases.”
Paton, who got the job both before Payton was hired and before current ownership bought the team, has thrived due to his ability both to do the basic requirements of the job and to navigate working with the other key members of a pro football operation.
It’s about finding the right way to work toward the same goal and, most importantly, it’s about figuring out how to weather the periodic and inevitable storms in a way that strengthens the relationships. Those who can set aside their personal interests for the greater good tend to figure it out.
Paton has done that. Payton has done that. It’s no surprise that the Broncos have become a short-list championship contender, or that the franchise has had a record rate of season-ticket renewals. After a long stretch of struggling since turning the final year of the Peyton Manning era into a Super Bowl win, the new Pa(y)tons have turned the Broncos into a team that could win another one.
Or maybe two.
The Saints have signed all eight of their draft picks.
Seven of the selections, including first-round wideout Jordyn Tyson, signed with the team on Friday and second-round defensive tackle Christen Miller made it a full set on Saturday. Miller signed a four-year deal with the club,
Miller was the 10th pick in the second round last month. He finished his time at Georgia by posting 23 tackles, four tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks in 14 games last season.
With all of their picks signed, the Saints can now put their full attention on getting the eight players ready to contribute this fall.
The NFL will announce the full 2026 schedule on Thursday, May 14, but the league’s international slate of games will be revealed earlier than the domestic ones.
The matchups for this year’s international games will be announced on NFL Network at 9 a.m. eastern time on Wednesday.
Nine international games are on the docket this year, but the matchups for two of them have already been announced. The 49ers and Rams will meet up in Melbourne in Week 1 and the Cowboys will face the Ravens in Rio in Week 3.
One team in each of the other seven games is already known. The Jaguars will play in London twice and the Commanders will be involved in the city’s third game. The 49ers will be in Mexico City, the Falcons will be in Madrid, the Lions will be in Munich and the Saints will take part in the NFL’s first game in Paris.
The Saints have signed seven of their eight draft picks, including first-rounder Jordyn Tyson.
Tyson joined the team as the eighth overall pick last month and was the second wide receiver to come off the board in the first round. He had 158 catches for 2,822 yards and 22 touchdowns in 33 games at Arizona State.
It’s a four-year deal for Tyson with a team option for a fifth season. He will make $32.49 million in his first four seasons.
New Orleans also signed third-round tight end Oscar Delp, fourth-round guard Jeremiah Wright, fourth-round wide receiver Bryce Lance, fifth-round safety Lorenzo Styles, sixth-round wide receiver Barion Brown, and seventh-round cornerback TJ Hall.
The Saints added another undrafted rookie to their 90-man roster on Thursday.
Defensive lineman Zxavian Harris is the newest addition in New Orleans. The Saints signed 10 other undrafted free agents recently and the team will hold its rookie minicamp this weekend.
Harris is not expected to take part in any on-field work during that session. Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football reports that he is still recovering from March foot surgery.
The foot issue helps explain why Harris went undrafted despite being projected as a mid-round pick. He had 58 tackles, nine tackles for loss, three sacks, and an interception to wrap up a four-year run at Ole Miss that was marred by a pair of arrests that may have also contributed to teams passing him over last month.
