Overview
- ESPN reporter Seth Wickersham published a deep dive on July 7 that described Payton keeping very long office hours, regularly seeking outside inspiration, and at one point entertaining an idea about Bill Belichick coaching in Denver so Belichick could chase the all-time wins record.
- Wickersham wrote that Payton often calls prominent sports figures for ideas, including Tom Brady, who agreed to buy a minority stake in the Las Vegas Raiders in May 2023 and completed the deal in October 2024.
- Payton has since said the Belichick plan was a brief, off-the-cuff thought and not a serious proposal, stressing he did not move to make it happen.
- NFL peers and commentators have pointed to Seattle coach Mike Macdonald's contrasting work-life comments and criticized the optics of a coach regularly phoning a rival team's part-owner, though no rules violations or formal NFL inquiry have been reported.
- Payton's 2012 one-year suspension in the Saints' 'Bountygate' case remains a touchstone in coverage and helps explain why critics say these new revelations could lead to increased media and fan scrutiny of his methods and judgment.