Sean Payton said his Denver Broncos starters will be playing in preseason games this summer.
Sean Payton knows he has his work cut out for him in his first year leading the Denver Broncos.
This proud AFC West franchise has fallen on hard times since winning Super Bowl 50. Only the flightless New York Jets have missed the playoffs for longer than the Broncos. Even if they play in the same division as the juggernaut Kansas City Chiefs, so what? Payton made it a point to say the Broncos starters will be playing in preseason games later on this summer. This is fantastic news.
Payton certainly made the rounds on Radio Row, including this bit while on The Pat McAfee Show.
Sean Payton reveals his plans of playing Denver Broncos starters in preseason
In theory, resting starters during the preseason makes sense in some capacity. An NFL head coach probably does not want to subject his star players to injury, as they are making the team anyway. Resting starters allows for greater competition when it comes to guys fighting for roster spots. However, this preseason practice no longer seems to be en vogue. This is a great thing for the NFL.
I am not requesting for star players to play every down in the preseason, but teams that take this part of the offseason seriously tend to perform better once the season commences. Nobody wants to come out flat and lose its season by late September. For Denver, it is paramount for the Broncos to have a great start. They need to use the mile-high altitude to their advantage here.
Overall, it would have been absurd for Payton not to play his starters in the preseason. He needs to establish a winning culture in a once-proud organization that seems to have lost its way. Given that he is an offensive-minded head coach, it is imperative for him to get on the same page as franchise quarterback Russell Wilson as quickly as possible. Wilson had his worst season to date.
It comes after Payton already set the record straight about certain privileges Wilson got last year under Hackett that won’t continue.
Ultimately, Denver has not earned the right to take shortcuts. This is the worst stretch in franchise history, and most certainly in recent memory. While it remains to be seen if Payton will be the cure to what ails them, the Broncos cannot leave any stone unturned in this new regime. The Walton-Penner Family made a big splash to pry Payton off the FOX studio set. They need for this to work.
If you are not interested in starters playing in preseason games, then the Broncos are not for you.
