No deal is done until it’s done. And the deal between the Denver Broncos and coach Sean Payton is not yet done.
That’s the word out of Denver, more than a day after news broke that the Broncos would hire Payton.
There’s no reason to think it’s not happening, unlike (for example) the reporting from Sunday that Vic Fangio would definitely become the next Dolphins defensive coordinator. (It could still happen, but it wasn’t as inevitable as reported.) At this point, it’s just a matter of working out the words, phrases and clauses of the final contract.
Payton’s compensation remains unclear. The prior report from 9News.com regarding Payton landing “somewhere between” $17 million and $20 million was, as it turns out, an estimate and not a report — even though it was initially framed as a report. Even if/when a number is reported, we won’t know if that’s the total number, because high-end coaches are often paid off the books through related business concerns.
Sooner than later, Payton will be on the books as head coach of the Broncos, barring something that would be incredibly unforeseen and unlikely, at this point.