Broncos LB Jonas Griffith Lifts Lid on Sean Payton's New Locker Room Vibe

Sean Payton developed a bit of a reputation with the media last year. Has that changed internally?

Oct 12, 2023; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton watches play against the Kansas City Chiefs during the first half at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports / Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

For those looking for an inside line on Sean Payton's frame of mind, asking a player within the locker room's inner sanctum might offer insight. Denver Broncos linebacker Jonas Griffith checked in with the guys on 104.3 The FAN to address the perception that Payton is a little more chilled out these days.

"I mean, I think that there's a difference in the Sean Payton that the media gets versus that the players get," Griffith told Phillip Lindsay and Zach Bye of The Drive. "Honestly, I think last year he was not grumpy towards the players, you know, maybe. It was towards the media or whatever it may be—I'm not really sure how that whole aspect went. But I mean, yeah, I think he's very confident in the team this year. We're going to surprise a lot of people. He talks about it a lot to us, too. He's like, 'Hey, [I'm] real comfortable with the guys this year.' And we're ready to go. Got a lot of work to do, still, but we're ready."

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Perhaps it was simply Payton's unhappiness with Russell Wilson last season that ultimately made him so grouchy with the media last year, at times. Nothing illustrated Payton's prickly state of mind more than his late-season sideline tirade aimed at Wilson during a blowout road loss against the Detroit Lions. 

Now that Wilson is cashing his paycheck in Pittsburgh, perhaps the rain clouds hovering over Payton's disposition have dissipated. With a hand-picked quarterback in tow in Bo Nix, hopes are high within the building that the Broncos can win some more games.

Good Vibrations isn't simply a catchy Beach Boys tune, and Griffith is convinced the locker room is starting to feel good about its chances in 2024. Recently, second-year running back Jaleel McLaughlin indulged in some saber-rattling rallying directed toward the national media. 

Routinely, this offseason, national media outlets have taken aim at the Broncos' purported lack of depth and "talentless" roster. And that's to say nothing of the criticism Payton and the Broncos received for drafting Nix at No. 12 overall.

You might think Broncos players would have their phones on silent mode, but Griffith detailed how they're definitely hearing the outside noise, and they're channeling it, much as McLaughlin said.

"Definitely. I mean, if you are on social media, you'll see some of the stuff, and some guys will say they don't see it, but you'll see it, especially if you follow any Broncos pages or anything," Griffith told The FAN. "And, I mean, it's definitely motivating. You try not to think too much of it because you know who you are. You don't allow somebody else to think who you are.  That's the biggest thing for me. Like, I know the type of guy and player that I am. I know the type of teammates that I have. And I know the type of work that we're putting in right now, which, you know, at the end of the day, the work is never gonna fail. And I think that's the biggest in the—your preparation, your work, your diet, everything. Your sleep, everything that goes into it. I think we have a lot of hungry guys who are looking to make a name for the team and for themselves. And I think that's the biggest thing. Like Jaleel, that's another guy. That hungry guy comes to work every day, and I'm excited to see him and I'm excited to see myself too."

During OTAs, Payton talked about how energizing it's been to have a much younger team under his command. The happy by-product of getting rapidly younger is that the players are that much hungrier to prove themselves.

Griffith himself is returning from a major injury that cost him the whole of last season, so perhaps he's as desperate to succeed as any rookie entering training camp. Hard work and the drive to succeed can often be reflected in the standings at year's end, so on that front, the Broncos are trending up.

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