How desperate are the Denver Broncos to land a quality head coach?
Apparently desperate enough that they are willing to make either Jim Harbaugh or Sean Payton by far the highest-paid coach in the NFL.
That’s according to a report by Colin Cowherd, Tuesday on The Herd With Colin Cowherd.
“The Denver Broncos job, if it is offered, I am told the salary is $20 million (per year) for Harbaugh,” Cowherd said. “It would be greater for Sean Payton, mid-20s. That’s what I know.”
Sean McVay of the Los Angeles Rams is currently the highest-paid NFL head coach, earning between $15 to $18 million per season.
If true, it’s unclear how that would make Harbaugh feel, knowing the Broncos management values him as approximately 25% less valuable than Payton as a coach.
Harbaugh, who just coached the Michigan Wolverines to a 13-1 record and a spot in the College Football Playoff, is reportedly eyeing a return to the NFL. He’s also reportedly interested in the Carolina Panthers coaching vacancy, according to Fox Charlotte’s Panthers beat reporter Will Kunkel.
He’s not so keen on the Broncos job, according to the report, because of star quarterbacks Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert playing in the same division.
Payton has been out of football since leaving the New Orleans Saints after the 2021 season. Since then, he’s been tied to all sorts of wild speculation, including a possible union with Tom Brady somewhere. The Saints, meanwhile, reportedly want compensation if another team signs Payton, possibly a first-round draft pick.
[Colin Cowherd]