iStockphoto / Bob Donnan-Imagn Images
Nov 8, 2026; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton looks on before the game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium. A stock photo of a no-smoking sign has been added to the top right corner.
After Sunday’s 26-21 victory over the Carolina Panthers that moved theĀ Denver BroncosĀ to 7-2 on the season and kept them atop the AFC West, head coachĀ Sean PaytonĀ was all smiles.
That is, until Payton stepped into the media room for his postgame press conference and noticed a reporterĀ with a cigarette in his mouth. Only, it turned out that the reporter wasn’t actually smoking, and the reporter didn’t actually have a cigarette.
What followed was an awkward exchange where Payton had to apologize to the reporter, and the reporter took to social media to explain what had actually happened.
#Broncos HC Sean Payton paused his press conference because he thought a reporter was smoking…
āCould we not smoke in here?ā
The reporter had a pencil in his mouth. šš https://t.co/FUhLkjIl5h
ā Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) November 8, 2026
Sean Payton Mistook A Reporter’s Pen For A Cigarette
“Could we not smoke in here, please?” Payton asked in a serious tone before realizing what was actually happening. “Oh, you’re not smoking; you’ve got a pencil. I’m sorry! I thought you were smoking. I owe you.”
The mood then lightened in the room once everyone had realized the miscommunication.
“I had a flashback, thinking, ‘Who’s smoking a cigarette?'” Payton said, laughing.
As it turns out, the reporter was Sean Keeler of the Denver Post, and he didn’t have a pencil, but rather a pen.
Update for @MySportsUpdate:
1. I was the reporter.
2. It wasn’t a pencil. It was a pen.
THIS pen. š
#Broncos #BroncosCountry #
(cont’d.) https://t.co/rsQyQrwQR9
ā Sean Keeler (@SeanKeeler) November 9, 2026
Keeler said that he and Payton have no beef, and they both laughed off the incident. He also noted that he doesn’t smoke and never has. Interestingly, Keeler called the moment on theĀ secondĀ strangest exchange he’s had with a football coach recently.
The first? When Deion Sanders banned Keeler from asking questions to members of the Colorado football team or its coaches. Must be something about the thin air up there in Denver.