Ahead of the Denver Broncos' Week 3 matchup with the Los Angeles Rams, coach Sean Payton crashed the live set of Sunday Night Football to gift former NFL coach Mike Tomlin a pair of new Jordans.
Denver Broncos coach Sean Payton's relationship with Michael Jordan and his personal brand goes back to February of 2020, when he became the first sponsored coach by the Jordan brand by His Airness himself, when Michael Jordan saw Payton wearing a pair of Jordan 11s during the festivities surrounding Super Bowl LIV in Miami.
"(Michael Jordan) had just come in and met us, we sat and talked," Payton said in a Scoop City podcast interview in 2024, via Bleacher Report. "We talked tequila; he had just started a brand of tequila. And then he said, 'I know you
wear the Jordan 11 golds. I'm gonna make you my first Jordan brand coach.'"
Since becoming a Jordan-sponsored coach, Payton has enjoyed the spoils of what comes with that deal, and friends like Tomlin have benefited.
Broncos HC Sean Payton crashes the FNIA set, gifting Mike Tomlin a brand new pair of sneakers! 👟
— Sunday Night Football on NBC (@SNFonNBC) September 27, 2026
📺 Sunday Night Football: Rams at Broncos on NBC & Peacock pic.twitter.com/xdgJ06Q0Wk
“He’s a close friend," Payton said of Tomlin when he left as coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers in January. "Anytime I get these black and yellow Jordans, he’s the same size as me. I send them to him. I’m like, ‘Man, I’d never wear these colors,’ but anyway, I wish him well."
Tomlin thanked Payton on social media for the shoes on Sunday night.
Thank you to my brother, @SeanPayton, for the kicks. Always looking out for me. pic.twitter.com/brCbOq3Gg3
— Mike Tomlin (@CoachTomlin) September 28, 2026
Tomlin isn't the only person to receive a new pair of Jordans from the coach. After winning NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2024, cornerback Pat Surtain received a pair of new kicks from Payton.
The brand deal has treated Payton well, and the Broncos have been a winning team while he's worn them. Maybe that's their good luck charm. They certainly look good on game day.
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This article originally appeared on Broncos Wire: Mike Tomlin thanks Sean Payton for special gift before ‘SNF’
