Sean Payton spent 16 years of his coaching career in New Orleans.
He got there in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and led the Saints as the NFL team helped the city heal. They won a Super Bowl in 2009, and he became one of the city’s mainstays until resigning after the 2021 season.
Wednesday afternoon, hours after what the FBI called an act of terrorism in which a man rammed a truck into a French Quarter crowd around 3 a.m. and killed at least 15 people, Payton had his former home on his mind.
“My heart is broken for the loss of a lot of innocent lives,” the Denver Broncos coach said after his team finished practice. “I haven’t seen any of the news specifically, I just know how late it happened. It’s awful. I’ll catch up, I’m sure, when I go upstairs as to what exactly happened, but it’s just gut-wrenching news.
“Especially this time of year. There’s no great time of year, but when it happens when so many people are down there for the bowl games and for the New Year’s festivities, I hate it.”
Broncos tight end Adam Trautman, one of several Denver players who spent time playing for New Orleans earlier in his career, said he pulled up Google Maps and determined that he used to live 1.2 miles from where the attack happened.
“When I woke up, I saw it on social media — and you get all the fake news accounts, so at first I was like, ‘Is this real?’ And then I confirmed it and, yeah, it’s terrible,” Trautman said. …
“I didn’t live on (Bourbon Street), but I lived close to it, and to know that it happened that close to where I used to live, that’s scary. It can happen any time, and it’s terrible that people do that type of stuff.”
Vet rest days. The Broncos are mostly healthy heading into the final regular-season game of the year.
Left guard Ben Powers did not practice and defensive tackle Zach Allen was listed as limited, but both just got rest days. Rookie reserve offensive lineman Frank Crum (illness) was the only player who missed practice for a reason other than rest.
Outside linebacker Nik Bonitto was a new addition to the injury report with a wrist issue, but he practiced fully. So, too, did inside linebacker Justin Strnad (heel) and running back Tyler Badie (back). Badie remains on injured reserve.
Broncos had interest in Wentz. Before Denver drafted Bo Nix in April, the club evaluated many veteran options on the quarterback market.
They eventually traded for 2021 New York Jets first-round pick Zach Wilson the week of the draft, but not before at least looking at options like Sam Darnold, Gardner Minshew, Carson Wentz and others.
Darnold, of course, has put together a terrific season for the 14-2 Minnesota Vikings. Minshew was in and out of the starting lineup for Las Vegas. Wentz ended up in Kansas City backing up Patrick Mahomes and now will start against the Broncos in Week 18 because the 15-1 Chiefs have the AFC’s top seed locked up.
“He’s in the league for a reason,” Payton said Wednesday. “He’s big, strong, former first-round draft pick. We spoke during the offseason a little bit with him and his agents.”
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