Denver Broncos coach Sean Payton has the chance to make NFL history once again in 2026, and cement his place as one of the top-10 winningest coaches in league history. He's ten wins away from a top-ten spot.
Currently, Payton sits at 13th all-time in wins with 184, just ahead of New York Giants coach John Harbaugh (180 wins) and just behind Pro Football Hall of Fame coach Chuck Knox (186 wins). Payton got most of those wins as coach of the New Orleans Saints from 2006-21. And that's not even counting the 2012 season he could have had when he was suspended for his alleged role in the Saints' Bountygate scandal.
In 2025, Payton surpassed both Broncos legend Mike Shanahan and longtime mentor Bill Parcells on the all-time wins list, en route to a 14-win
season, and a playoff victory. Payton, unsurprisingly, was nearly devoid of emotion when he passed Parcells on the list when the Broncos beat the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 5 last fall. “(Bill Parcells) and I spoke this past week, and we don’t keep track of that kind of stuff," Payton said in his postgame press conference after the win over the Eagles.
If the Broncos have a season even close to the one they had in 2025, Payton could join the top-10 winningest coaches list as soon as Week 10 (surpassing Mike Tomlin and Hall of Famer Chuck Noll, who sit at 193 wins each).
Since coming to the Broncos in 2023, Payton has been an impressive 32-19, helping turn Denver from a bottom-feeder to a title contender in just three seasons. Payton aims to become the first coach in NFL history to win a Super Bowl with two different franchises, with Denver being considered one of the top title contenders in 2026.
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This article originally appeared on Broncos Wire: Sean Payton's 10 wins away from cracking Top 10 on NFL's all-time wins list
