Sean Payton Says Chris Banjo Was Eager to Begin Coaching Career

The Arizona Cardinals lost Chris Banjo to retirement. The Denver Broncos gained a new special teams coach under Sean Payton.

INDIANAPOLIS -- The 2023 NFL Combine is officially underway.

Today features coaches and general managers talking before the slew of prospects speak to media the rest of the week. Although some teams don't have representation here, most of the NFL world is housed in the Indianapolis Convention Center for the coming week. 

The Arizona Cardinals will see some roster turnover this offseason with 30 scheduled free agents, yet safety Chris Banjo won't be retained after he announced his retirement from playing:

That’s all folks!

Thankful for 3️⃣3️⃣ years of life!!
Thankful for the journey
Thankful for the memories
Thankful for the teammates turned family

The cats already out the bag! But on my 33rd Birthday I’m officially retiring from PLAYING in the NFL

🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿#ByGodsGrace pic.twitter.com/VvtFMrQnqk

— Chris Banjo (@Chris1Banjo) February 26, 2023

Banjo won't be enjoying life on a beach for the next few years - he's joining the Denver Broncos' coaching staff as a special teams coach. Banjo was called upon by the newly hired Sean Payton to join his staff. Banjo played under him during his time with the New Orleans Saints from 2016-18. 

When speaking with reporters on Tuesday. Payton was asked about the decision to bring on former players such as Banjo and Davis Webb, who will coach quarterbacks in Denver.

"I'll start with Chris actually, so I think it was one of the nights was back in the hotel, just really looking through rosters, players that I've coached. And we really had a good experience with Chris when he came from Green Bay to New Orleans, and I knew he was still playing in Arizona, but he was at that stage in his career where he was looking forward maybe to get into coaching. I called him one night. And lo and behold, it was something that he wanted to do and do pretty quickly. Normally I would say it takes two years, there's a transition that it takes for players were away, and then they want to get back in," Payton said.

"He came highly recommended from, you know, a bunch of different coaches. Brian Daboll, Eli Manning, I spoke to a number of people, kept hearing the same things about him. So we brought him in. I didn't have to do that with Chris (Banjo) but I didn't know Davis. I mean, I remember him as a player, but I didn't know him at all, and he did a really good job. So those are two unusual hires because they were just on rosters last year but their experience and where they're at … he's a coach's kid, Davis is, and he had a file on his computer of every game plan he ever had since he was in high school and in college and then Texas Tech and then you know, [Patrick] Mahomes comes in and then he transfers. It was pretty impressive just going through the process and I think that the fit for us specifically with that room. I think will be good."

Some players would prefer to take time off rather than jumping right into the mix (Tom Brady), but Payton made it clear that the 33-year-old Cardinals safety was ready for the next chapter.

Banjo played for the Cardinals from 2019-22 and was one of the team's top special teams contributors. 

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