For Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton, his Wednesday, December 31, press conference was just that: a Wednesday press conference.
In fact, Payton had no idea that Wednesday was New Year’s Eve until a reporter asked him about a potential message he had for his team regarding the holiday. Not only did Payton not have any message, but he made it clear he’s not the biggest fan of New Year’s Eve, either.
“The most overrated holiday, honestly,” Payton said, smiling.
Those in New Orleans, where Payton coached from 2006 through 2021, might disagree. New Orleans has a long and storied history for their shall-we-say festive ways of celebrating the holidays.
Payton was asked if he needed to share anything specific with his players while with the Saints. He responded with “not the good teams,” which he certainly saw plenty of; the Saints won the Super Bowl after the 2009 season and reached the playoffs nine times in his 15 seasons there.
#Broncos HC Sean Payton on New Year’s Eve: “I didn’t know it was New Year’s Eve. The most overrated holiday, honestly. Like, seriously, I didn’t know it was New Year’s Eve.”
Says players on good teams don’t need any message ahead of tonight: “Today’s generation doesn’t drink as… pic.twitter.com/2EJmabHoDx
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) January 1, 2026
“And I do find, what’s interesting, as we get older and you’re coaching younger players, these guys are much more in tune [with] their bodies,” said Payton, who has coached the Broncos since 2023. “Today’s generation doesn’t drink as much. They’re in tune [with] their sleep.
“I don’t know that I’m going to call an emergency team meeting,” Payton added, “but they have handled all of this stuff tremendously.”
Payton and the Broncos are on track to have a celebration more significant than one for the new year. Denver enters its Week 18 showdown with the rival Los Angeles Chargers at an NFL-best 13-3 and having already clinched its first AFC West title since 2015.
The Broncos would secure the AFC’s No. 1 seed and home-field advantage with a win on Sunday afternoon. Alternatively, Denver can be the No. 1 seed if the New England Patriots lose to the Miami Dolphins, and the Jacksonville Jaguars lose or tie with the Tennessee Titans.
BO NIX TAKES IT IN HIMSELF FOR THE LEAD
DENvsKC on Prime Video
Also streaming on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/7RKqmjA00R
— NFL (@NFL) December 26, 2025
A third, and unlikely, clinching scenario for the Broncos involves a tie with the Chargers and the Patriots losing or tying with the Dolphins. Denver has not had a tie since September 20, 1987, against the Green Bay Packers.
As of January 1, the FanDuel Sportsbook gives the Broncos +800 (bet $100 to win $900) to win their first Super Bowl since the 2015 season. Those odds lead all AFC teams and trail only the Seattle Seahawks and Los Angeles Rams, both of whom have +550 odds, leaguewide.
The NFL playoffs begin Saturday, January 10. However, if they earn the AFC’s No. 1 seed, the Broncos would not play until the following week. Denver can be no lower than the No. 3 seed, and would play the No. 6 team in that situation. Alternatively, the Broncos would host the No. 7 team if Denver finishes No. 2.
Denver has previously won the Super Bowl in 1997, 1998, and 2015. The Broncos have reached the playoffs in consecutive seasons for the first time since 2011–15.
