Since Broncos’ AFC title game loss, there’s been much drama involving Sean Payton
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Sean Payton fired offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi two days after AFC title loss.
- Quarterback Bo Nix disputed Payton’s claim that a predisposed ankle issue existed.
- Internal discord and public comments disrupted Broncos’ postgame Super Bowl planning.
The Broncos had hoped to spend this week preparing for a trip to Santa Clara, California for Super Bowl LX.
Instead, they’ve been dealing with drama surrounding head coach Sean Payton.
It began Tuesday, with Payton firing offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi. The move came two days after the Broncos lost 10-7 to the Patriots in the AFC Championship Game in Denver.
Lombardi wasn’t surprised by the decision, as he told the Denver Gazette, saying Payton “was in one of those moods.”
“Sean decided to move on, and I guess that’s all there is to say,’’ Lombardi said. “I don’t think it’s ever a surprise (in the NFL). Not really. … I think you could tell he (Payton) was in one of those moods where he felt like some changes needed to be made and I guess he decided one of those was me. So I’ve been around him long enough to kind of read the tea leaves, I guess.”
Bo Nix responds
Denver’s Super Bowl hopes took a hit when quarterback Bo Nix was injured late in the Broncos’ divisional-round win over the Bills.
Nix broke a bone in his right ankle, and Payton said at an end-of-season news conference that Nix was going to have that particular injury at some point.
“What was found was a condition that was predisposed — they always find a little more when they go in,” Payton said, per ESPN. “It wasn’t a matter of if, it was a matter of when. When you look at the play and you’re trying to evaluate it — the operating surgeon said that this was going to happen sooner than later.”
But Nix spoke out about Payton’s comments, saying his coach was wrong. The Denver Post’s Luca Evans said Nix specifically asked to speak with reporters to refute Payton’s assertion.
“Yeah, nothing predisposed, nothing that was there originally,” Nix said, per Evans. “That might’ve gotten confused. But just a simple step with my foot up in the air and my body weight came down on it. ...
“Just one of those missteps. And (I) didn’t have any predisposed issues. Man, my ankles were feeling really good.”
Nix then chided Payton for telling reporters after the Bills game that Nix had ankle injuries in high school and college.
“I don’t think you should share how many surgeries I’ve had in the past, to be honest with you,” Nix said. “Because he doesn’t even really know that.”
This story was originally published January 29, 2026 at 11:40 AM.
