Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton is part of a “unique club,” and now, so is the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, Pat Surtain II.
Surtain became a Jordan Brand Athlete. He also got to celebrate his addition to the club with the “G.O.A.T.,” NBA Hall of Famer Michael Jordan. An image of Jordan and Surtain enjoying a celebratory cigar as the latter joins the noteworthy and exclusive group.
A post explaining the partnership and the picture shared on X earned a repost from Payton.
“It’s my understanding that @PatSurtainll is the newest Jordan Brand NFL player,” Guerilla Sports’ Brandon Krisztal reported on X on July 13. “So, in addition to Broncos HC @SeanPayton being a Jordan Brand Ambassador, PS2 now joins that unique club and will be rockin’ Air Jordan Cleats when camp starts.”
The Jordan Brand deal is the latest feat for Surtain in the past year. The 25-year-old is a three-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro in addition to his DPOY win for his 2024 season. He inked a four-year, $96 million contract extension with the Broncos in September 2024.
was already under the Nike umbrella, which is Jordan Brand’s parent company, though it indeed operates as a separate entity.
The Broncos’ duo, Payton and Surtain, grows an expanding list of NFL figures on the brand.
Broncos CB Pat Surtain II Part of Jordan Brand’s NFL Power Play
GettyPat Surtain II of the Denver Broncos reacts against the New York Jets.
Jordan Brand is naturally a power in the basketball world, and even beyond the NBA. It has also long had ties to the NFL before adding Surtain or the Broncos’ head coach. Payton joined in 2020 and is the only NFL head coach with a sneaker deal.
Former New Orleans Saints star Michael Thomas, who Payton knows well, was on that list, too.
The company has expanded its influence with other high-profile additions such as Jalen Hurts of the reigning Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles, Maxx Crosby of the Las Vegas Raiders, Puka Nacua of the Los Angeles Rams, and Tetairoa McMillan of the Carolina Panthers.
This is just another feather in Surtain’s cap. It further cements his stature in the league and the sports world at large.
Jordan Brand celebrated its significant impact in the baseball world, too, with multiple ambassadors participating in the 2025 MLB All-Star Game.
The company has also created custom cleats for athletes in the Pro Bowl and Pro Bowl Games.
Broncos HC Sean Payton Touts Jordan Brand Perks
GettyDenver Broncos head coach Sean Payton does an interview on the field during a game against the Green Bay Packers.
Surtain can look forward to perks with his Jordan Brand deal, many of which will be Broncos-themed. That includes footwear that the coach has been known to sport proudly. Payton got his deal from Jordan himself after the latter noticed the coach wearing his shoes.
“(Payton) brags about it a little bit, (saying) ‘You haven’t seen these in stores yet,’” Surtain told The Denver Post’s Ryan McFadden in August 2023. “Every day he’s showing off new shoes.”
Payton even received an exclusive pair of Jordans in Broncos colors that were not a signature model. They were not made available to the public either.
Payton is a Chicago native, and he played his college ball at Eastern Illinois from 1983 through 1986. That coincided with Jordan’s first year in the NBA with the Chicago Bulls and his initial deal with Nike, both of which were in 1984.
Payton claims to be the “collection king,” per McFadden.
Surtain could soon give Payton a run for his money, but the Broncos star certainly has some catching up to do before that.
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