The first flurry of national reports of Sean Payton becoming the next Denver Broncos coach says nothing about what he will be paid. At least one local report has supplemented this information.
This information, as we will explain in a moment, may also be incomplete.
9News.com’s Mike Klis reports that Payton will receive “somewhere between” $17 million and $20 million per year, on a contract that will last at least five years.
Payton was reportedly looking for between $20 million and $25 million a year. The Dolphins were reportedly willing to pay him that much last year, secretly courting Payton and quarterback Tom Brady.
The reality is that Payton can still make it happen. As previously explained, the highest paid NFL coaches receive more money from the books from sources other than the team itself. It’s a way to properly pay the trainer without further exploding the official pay curve. And it is allowed because there is no salary cap for coaching.
That’s why our general stance when hearing how much one of the highest paid coaches makes is to assume the truth is more.