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Sean Payton and Charissa Thompson had an awkward moment on the sideline
Prime Video cameras created an awkward moment on Thursday night as they accidentally caught Sean Payton pulling in sideline reporter Charissa Thompson for a kiss on the cheek. The moment naturally went viral on social media.
Before Thursday night’s Broncos-Seahawks game on Prime Video, Charissa Thompson interviewed Sean Payton on the sideline. At the end of the conversation, Payton leaned in and kissed Thompson on the cheek, a moment that was caught on camera and quickly spread across social media.
Payton and Thompson worked together at FOX in 2022 and clearly have maintained a friendly relationship since.
Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton kissed Prime Video sideline reporter Charissa Thompson on the cheek at the end of a pregame interview
🚨🚨TRENDING🚨🚨
#BRONCOS HC SEAN PAYTON WAS CAUGHT KISSING REPORTER CHARISSA THOMPSON ON THE FIELD BEFORE THE GAME.
💀💀💀 https://t.co/9zJCDUBXtt
— MLFootball (@MLFootball) October 16, 2026
Sean Payton kissing Charissa Thompson definitely wasn’t supposed to be caught on camera.
Super weird… 🥴 https://t.co/9p4FZ88QOU
— Outl✭w (@OutlawCowboyNFL) October 15, 2026
The moment was made even more awkward by the timing, as Payton was pulled into online speculation involving female reporters a couple of times this year.
In April, after Dianna Russini resigned from The Athletic amid scrutiny over her alleged relationship with Patriots coach Mike Vrabel, fans resurfaced an old podcast clip in which Russini described a voicemail from Payton that raised some eyebrows in hindsight.
Then, in June, former USA Today reporter Crissy Froyd tweeted that it would be funny if Payton and Texans GM Nick Caserio “were involved,” without saying in what. None of it has been confirmed, no evidence has been presented, and Payton and the Broncos have not responded.
Payton’s Broncos eked out a 17-14 overtime win over the defending Super Bowl champion Denver Broncos on Thursday night despite a dismal offensive performance that saw the team accumulate just 168 total yards.