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After a tough first year back in the NFL, Sean Payton is facing a lot of doubt. Many people think he and the Denver Broncos will fail this season. Sportsbooks have set their win total at just 5.5 games.
But Payton and his team are only focused on what they can control.
During a media session on Tuesday, Payton acknowledged the critics. He admitted he hears the naysayers loud and clear. Instead of backing down, he’s ready to use some colorful gestures to express his feelings.
Sean Payton: “I have two middle fingers, I've gotten better with age not using them. … you got X amount of battery life and energy and try to use it where you think it's best to help the team and so you learn over time to not spend as much on the things you can't control.” pic.twitter.com/bhOlGZNEjV
— Andrew Mason (@MaseDenver) June 11, 2024
Sean Payton: “I have two middle fingers, I’ve gotten better with age not using them. … you got X amount of battery life and energy and try to use it where you think it’s best to help the team and so you learn over time to not spend as much on the things you can’t control.”
“I think that I have two middle fingers,” Payton joked when asked about the criticism.
Payton is prepared to flip the bird at anyone doubting him or the Broncos. “It’s more inward-focused relative to our own team and what we’re doing,” he explained. As he gets older, he doesn’t waste energy on things he can’t control.
“I don’t play a lot of video games, but you have ‘X’ amount of battery life and energy,” Payton added. His goal is to use his stamina to “help the team.” He emphasized that if he cared about outside opinions, they wouldn’t have drafted Bo Nix.
We can only commend Payton for his mindset. But he will face skepticism until the Broncos become a strong team in the AFC under his leadership.
As Payton points out, they wouldn’t have picked Nix if they listened to critics. Many thought Nix would be a Day 2 pick. However, he might play sooner than expected due to rumors involving Zach Wilson.
Payton’s approach is clear: focus on the team and ignore the noise.
