Sean Payton’s net worth is $24 million, and his salary is estimated at about $17 million to $20 million per season. He has been able to earn this much as a former quarterback and now an American football coach with the Denver Broncos of the National Football League.
Although he makes his living as a full-time coach, the iconic athlete has come a long way since the start of his career, leaving behind a long trail of accomplishments that have contributed immensely to the growth of his career and net worth. Read on to find a detailed report on the seasoned coaches’ net worth and sources of income.
How Much is Coach Payton Worth Today?
Sean Payton is currently the head coach of the NFL football team, Denver Broncos, and his net worth is presently estimated to be about $24 million. However, before his contract with the Broncos, Sean served as the head coach to the NFL team, New Orleans Saints, earning an impressive $10,000 annual salary.
At the expiration of his contract with the Saints, Sean was appointed the head coach of the Denver Broncos for the 2023-2024 NFL seasons. Although details of this new contract have not officially been released, the five-year contract is said to be worth about $17 million – $20 million per season, and this will inarguably place the seasoned coach on the rank of the highest-paid coaches in the league.
How Much is Fox Paying Sean Payton?
Sean Payton is set to receive an annual salary of about $10 million for working as a sports analyst with Fox. On Pro Football Talk, Mike Florio reported that Payton is likely to be appointed as a sports analyst on Pro NFL Sunday after striking a deal with Fox Sports.
In February 2022, Front Office Sports’ Michael McCarthy stated that sSean Payton and Fox were going over a contract that would likely have him take over from Troy Aikman as the lead color commentator. However, these reports appeared to be baseless after it was revealed that Fox had also positioned Tom Brady to possibly succeed Aikman.
The later development arose after Payton was rumored to have been employed by the Miami Dolphins, together with Tom Brady. However, while addressing the issue with reporters, Payton said that the rumors were completely alien to him as he was actively getting set for his TV journey.
How did Sean Payton Make his Money?
Sean Payton’s rise to fame as a coach was not an overnight success story. The 60 year-old coach has come a long way from his days as a high school senior player to the point he is at now.
Before assuming his position as the Denver Broncos head coach, Coach Payton had to work as a player, assistant coach, and head coach for several other teams. Below is a detailed expose of the teams he has worked with as a player and coach.
Playing Career
Sean Payton started his career as a football player while he was a senior at the Naperville Central High School in Illinois. Before he graduated, he played as the team’s starting quarterback in 1982, and after his graduation, he still maintained the quarterback position at the college he attended.
Undergraduate Football Career at Eastern Illinois University
Payton’s amazing football playing skills earned him a full scholarship at Eastern Illinois University as a football recruit. While playing there under the AI Molde, the EIU football team was dubbed the Eastern Airlines, an allusion to the now-defunct commercial airline.
In 1986, Payton played quarterback for the school’s football team, leading them to the Division 1-AA Playoffs quarterfinal, with 11 and 2 finishes for the season. Throughout his stay in the team, Payton made immense contributions to its growth, and his passing attack led to a 300+ yards/game. He set a game-passing school record of over 509 yards that has remained unbroken decades later.
Professional Football Playing
Although he didn’t make the 1987 NFL draft, Payton still played as a starting quarterback in the first season of the new Arena Football League for two different teams, the Pittsburgh Gladiators and the Chicago Bruisers. Later in the same year, he was hired as the quarterback for the Chicago Bears.
Sean Payton began his professional football career in 1988 after he was recruited into the United Kingdom’s Budweiser Nation League. He led the Leicester Panthers into the first round of the BAFA National League Championships with an 8-5 record.
Sean’s Career as a Football Coach Started in 1988
Payton’s coaching career started in 1988 when he worked with the San Diego State University as an offensive assistant coach. He also took up several assistant positions at Miami University and Indiana State University at about the same time. In the course of his non-professional coaching career, Payton also coached one of the NFL’s greatest all-time running backs, Marshall Faulk.
Philadelphia Eagles (1997-1998)
Payton landed his first deal as an NFL coach with the Philadelphia Eagles from 1997-1998, as the team’s quarterback coach, working with other assistant coaches like Jon Gruden and Bill Callahan.
New York Giants (1999-2002)
Payton became the New York Giants quarterback coach in 1999 and was later promoted to the team’s offensive coordinator the following year, leading the Giants to the Super Bowl berth as the NFC champion.
Dallas Cowboys (2003-2005)
Payton was appointed the assistant head coach to the Dallas Cowboys in 2003, coaching Drew Bledsoe and Vinny Testaverde during his time there. Two years later, he was promoted to assist the team’s head coach, Bill Parcells, and also acted as the passing game coordinator.
New Orleans Saints (2013-2021)
Sean got his first opportunity as an NFL head coach in 2006 when he was hired by the New Orleans Saints. This was a trying time for him as in his first season as a head coach, he set a record of the league’s second-worst record that year, with 3 and 13 records. Furthermore, that season also coincided with the wake of the 2005 Hurricane Katrina and added more to his troubles as a new coach.
However, Payton’s NFL coaching career picked up in time as he was able to turn the struggling team in a better direction with the recruitment of Drew Brees, a free-agent quarterback who led the Saints to make an appearance in the playoffs for the first time in six years. His contract with the Saints ended in 2021 after serving as their head coach for 16 seasons.
Denver Broncos (2023–Present)
Sean Payton became the head coach of the Denver Broncos on January 31, 2023. However, his signing by the Broncos did not come without some horse-trading. The Broncos traded their 2023 first-round and a 2024 second and third-round pick with the Saints to secure his signing.
Sean Payton’s Net Worth Growth
Since the beginning of his career as a football coach, Sean Payton’s net worth has been a steady growth as he continues to land one better deal after another. He is currently the head coach of the Denver Broncos, and his salary is estimated to be about $17 million to $20 million per season. Here is a list of his net worth growth in the past few years.
- Net worth in 2019: $17 million
- Net worth in 2020: $19 million
- Net worth in 2021: $21 million
- Net worth in 2022: $23 million
- Net worth in 2023: $24 million
