Why Sean Payton Thinks the NFL is ‘Better’ With Belichick Back After HOF News

Sean Payton called Bill Belichick a “close coaching friend” and admitted he misses him in the NFL. Asked about the Hall of Fame finalist in his most recent Broncos press conference, Payton said he hopes Belichick is back stalking a sideline soon.

Payton lit up when Belichick’s name came up.

With Belichick officially named a finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Payton was asked about his relationship with the longtime New England Patriots coach, and he did not hold back. The irony that the Broncos are neck and neck with the Patriots for the AFC’s No. 1 seed isn’t lost here either. 

“It was outstanding,” Payton said of their relationship, going back to his first year as a head coach in 2006, when the New Orleans Saints and Patriots staffs coached the Pro Bowl together in Hawaii after both losing in the conference championship games. He described 10 days of short practices and long conversations, with both staffs even heading out on a boat fishing trip as Payton got to pick Belichick’s brain.

From there, he said, the two coaches built a real bond through joint practices and regular conversations. Payton noted that in four joint practices between their teams, “not one time … was there a scuffle or a fight,” underscoring how organized and disciplined Belichick’s teams were.

He went even further, calling Belichick “a close coaching friend” who shaped how Payton looked at building a roster, from targeting “smart, tough, reliable football players” to the way they handled trades, which he joked could get done in “20 seconds” with no gamesmanship.

Sean Payton Admits He Misses Belichick in the NFL

Then came the line that will fuel every Belichick-return rumor.

“I’ll be honest with you, I miss him not being in the league,” Payton said, adding that he “wouldn’t be surprised” — and would be “somewhat hopeful” — that Belichick ends up back in the NFL. Payton added that “we’d all be better for it.”

He also put Belichick alongside other coaching giants like Mike Shanahan and Mike Holmgren, comparing them to planes sitting on the runway, just waiting to “take off” into Canton’s Hall of Fame.

Payton admitted he wasn’t even aware coaches didn’t have to wait five years like players for Hall of Fame consideration, but once he learned Belichick was a finalist, he made it clear he sees the six-time Super Bowl champion as part of an elite tier.

The respect goes beyond schemes. Payton pointed back to all the phone calls, texts and practice time he shared with Belichick over the years, saying he was “lucky” as a young head coach to have those experiences and emphasizing that if they weren’t paying attention to what New England was doing at that time, “it” would have been a mistake.

What Payton’s Comments Mean for Belichick’s Future & the Broncos

Payton stopped short of predicting exactly where or when Belichick will coach again, but his answer sounded more like a campaign speech than a casual nod to a Hall of Fame finalist.

Coming from a coach who openly says he “hates losing more than anything in the world” and is almost “maniacal” about details, his admiration for Belichick’s process and team-building carries weight. He clearly sees Belichick as a model for how to construct a locker room full of smart, unselfish players — the same traits he praised in his own Broncos group.

For Denver, Payton’s comments offer a glimpse into the standard he’s chasing as the Broncos head into what he called “five real good games ahead of us”. As he focuses on the Las Vegas Raiders and the stretch run, he’s also aligning himself publicly with one of the most demanding and decorated coaches in NFL history.

Belichick’s next move remains the league’s great unknown, but Payton’s message was clear: he doesn’t just expect Belichick to be honored in Canton — he’s hoping the coach is back stalking an NFL sideline, and he believes the entire league would benefit if that happens.

For Broncos fans, it’s also a reminder of the standard Payton believes they should be aiming for: smart, tough, reliable football, and a head coach who is as obsessed with the edge as any of the legends he’s praising.

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