BRONCO BUSTIN’

Payton makes it clear, Russell’s personal coaches are out in Denver’s new era

Given Payton’s stance on that matter, Wilson might also have to surrender his extra parking spaces and private upstairs office.

The Broncos also could see less of his globetrotting jaunts on social media and maybe his teammates will have to make do without the air hockey and gaming chairs that were part of Hackett’s conversion of the reporters’ workroom into a splashy players arcade a year ago.

The new head coach is all business, concerned not with creature comforts but about changing a losing culture that has permeated the franchise.

The Broncos surrendered their first-round pick, No. 29 overall, in the upcoming draft to the Saints in order to sign Payton to a five-year deal worth around $18 million a year.

Payton has some unfinished business at his old job in broadcasting before diving into the task of turning around a franchise that has floundered under first-time head coaches Vance Joseph, Vic Fangio and Hackett during a seven-year playoff drought.

Payton said he’ll work the Super Bowl in his final week as an analyst on Fox NFL Kickoff.

“I’m picking the Eagles,”

Payton said. “We never want anyone in our division to win anything, right?”

Payton made a point of not piling on the former regime, but he did have this to say when asked about his game management skills: “I don’t anticipate the crowd having to count down the 30-second clock” as it did in Hackett’s home debut.

Fans mocking counting down the seconds led Paton to lure longtime assistant Jerry Rosburg out of retirement to handle those duties for Hackett, who also gave up play-calling duties later in the season.

Rosburg coached the final two games after Hackett’s dismissal when Wilson finally played like the nine-time Pro Bowler he is, something Payton mentioned Monday when asked about helping Wilson bounce back in 2023.

“I think the No. 1 job for us as coaches in evaluating our players is what are the things that they do really well and then let’s try to put them in those positions. At least that’s a starting point, and I think it’s important to highlight their strengths and minimize any weaknesses,” Payton said.

“None of us want to be at a karaoke bar with a song we don’t know the words to,” Payton said. “So, how do we get them comfortable and highlight their strengths? And that’s the process that’s going to begin right now as I’m learning about every one of these players, not just Russell.”

Payton invoked Parcells’ “law and order” mantra when talking about his coaching philosophies.

“You come in with your standards but you’re not coming in indicting anyone else’s,” Payton said. “... You really knock the rearview mirror off the automobile. We’re just looking forward.”