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Sean Payton joining the Denver Broncos as head coach prior to the 2023 NFL season had many people thinking that the team would return to the playoffs for the first time since their Super Bowl champion team in 2015. Instead, the season was much closer to an embarrassment than a success, resulting in a mini tear-down of the team’s roster.
There were lots of reasons for Denver’s poor performance last season, which saw the team go 8-9 and made it clear that Payton and then-quarterback Russell Wilson simply were not on the same page. One of those reasons, though small, may have been Sean Payton’s eyesight.
According to 9News, Sean Payton received cataract surgery in the offseason after calling the wrong play on the call sheet at least once last year.
Payton had cataracts surgery on his left eye last Thursday and will have cataracts surgery on his right eye Wednesday, presumably after his Broncos conduct their second minicamp practice at Broncos Park Powered by CommonSpirit.
“First day ever wearing sunglasses coaching,’’ Payton joked to 9NEWS. “Waiting for the Parcells phone call.”Back in January at his season-ending news conference, Broncos head coach Sean Payton said one goal he had for himself this offseason was to improve his eyesight.
“I want to get my eyes fixed, so I call the right play and I don’t mess up and call the wrong play on a play that happened one time this year,’’ Payton said on Jan 9. “That was embarrassing.’’
This raises a very big question. If Sean Payton is admitting to having called the wrong play due to eyesight at least once last year, how many times did he actually do it? How many times was the play delayed getting into Russell Wilson’s headset because Payton was struggling to see the call sheet?
In all seriousness, I’m sure that Sean Payton will enjoy coaching and life in general a lot more now that he will be able to see. And, I’m sure that rookie first-round quarterback Bo Nix definitely appreciates the fact that his head coach and mentor will be able to see, as well.