Broncos' Sean Payton has interesting thoughts on Jim Harbaugh as Chargers coach

Chris Roling | Oct 12, 2024

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Los Angeles Chargers

The first AFC West battle between Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh and Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton should be an interesting one, to say the least.

Harbaugh, after all, seemed to be on the shortlist of candidates for the job in Denver before Payton got it.

Fast forward to now, Harbaugh has a national title under his belt and a job with one of Payton’s primary rivals. The Broncos head coach spoke at length this week about what it means to encounter a Harbaugh-directed team.

“They do a great job. If you look up his overall career as a pro coach, [the] turnover margin is off the charts," Payton said, according to DNVR’s Henry Chisholm. "They protect the ball, they're smart, and they're well-coached. They always have balance relative to running the football and throwing the football. All the things that we sometimes—all the things that are necessary to develop a team and he's done that wherever he's been. If you got back to USD—University of San Diego—it's just not an accident.”

Payton would know. Harbaugh happened to coach the San Francisco 49ers from 2011-2014 and went 3-1 against the New Orleans Saints in that span, two of those wins while Payton was the head coach (Payton was suspended during Harbaugh’s other win).

Now, Harbaugh has already imposed his mark on the Chargers, as his defense is one of the best in football and his run-first offense with Greg Roman has struggled, albeit while dealing with a litany of injury issues.

Payton’s Broncos are no slouch either though, not after ripping off a three-game streak while rookie passer Bo Nix starts to look comfortable.

It only seems fitting, then that the two head coaches meet again at what is a rather critical juncture in the season for both teams—with the victor getting a big dose of proof that his approach to team building has his program on the right path.

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