Broncos choose Paton as new GM Saleh interviews again with Jets
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — John Elway’s hand-picked successor as Broncos general manager is Vikings executive George Paton.
Elway announced the hiring Wednesday, a day after Paton visited the team’s state-of-the-art headquarters where the Super Bowl 50 trophy looks like a tribute to a bygone era with the franchise mired in a five-year playoff drought.
Paton, who agreed to a six-year contract, spent the last 14 seasons working alongside Vikings GM Rick Spielman in Minnesota, including the last six as assistant general manager. Since 2018, he also served as the team’s vice president of player personnel.
Paton will be in charge of the draft, free agency and roster. The 24-year NFL executive has been one of the hottest names on the GM circuit in recent years, drawing interest from a dozen teams over the last decade, including the Lions this cycle.
Elway led Denver to a 96-74 record, five AFC West titles, two conference championships and the franchise’s third Super Bowl title to go with the two he won at the end of his Hall of Fame playing career.
All of that success came in Elway’s first five seasons in charge, in large part because he lured Peyton Manning to Denver for the second chapter of his storied career. Under Manning, the Broncos went 55-17 in four seasons, which culminated with a win over Carolina in Super Bowl 50.
Manning retired a month later, and Denver hasn’t been the same since. It has won just 32 of 80 games, posted four straight losing seasons for the first time in half a century, and has cycled through 10 starting quarterbacks, five offensive coordinators and three head coaches.
Elway announced Jan. 4 he was relinquishing his GM duties while keeping his job as president of football operations with coach Vic Fangio and his new GM reporting to him.
Bears to retain coach Nagy, GM
The Chicago Bears plan to keep general manager Ryan Pace and coach Matt Nagy for at least another season.
The team opted against sweeping changes in leadership after the Bears slipped into the playoffs despite going 8-8 for the second year in a row, chairman George Mccaskey said Wednesday.
The announcement comes on the heels of the Bears’ wild-card loss at New Orleans on Sunday, their second playoff appearance in three years. Chicago won the NFC North at 12-4 in 2018 — Nagy’s first season.
The Bears have two playoff appearances and a 42-54 regular-season record in six years under Pace, while Nagy is 28-20.
The search for a new coach continues for the Jets after they completed an in-person interview with San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh on Wednesday without apparently reaching a deal.
Saleh, 41, was the first of the nine known candidates to speak remotely with the Jets last week to be hosted by the team at its facility in Florham Park, N.J.
The Jets announced on social media they had completed their second interview with Saleh, which typically has indicated that a candidate has left the facility.
The Jets have also interviewed Kansas City offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, Buffalo offensive coordinator Brian Daboll, New Orleans defensive backs coach Aaron Glenn, and Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Brandon Staley — but their teams are still in the playoffs.
Odds and ends
Chiefs running back Clyde Edwards-helaire practiced for the first time since getting hurt in Week 15, raising hopes he can play in the divisional round of the playoffs against Cleveland on Sunday. … Rams All-pro DT Aaron Donald is making progress from the rib injury he sustained in Seattle ahead of Saturday’s divisional matchup against the Packers.