Sean Payton or Jim Harbaugh? Payton wasn't the Broncos' first choice, but he was their best choice

There were no tears for a clown when Broncos owner Greg Penner fired Nathaniel Hackett in 2022. After an atrocious 15-game performance marked by a lack of player discipline and sideline fights, Penner identified the traits most important in taking off the floppy shoes and the red nose from the organization's coaching office.

“We need a strong leader who is focused on winning. It starts with culture,” he said. “It's about instilling a sense of responsibility and discipline and we need an identity on offense. But at the beginning it has to be about culture and leadership.”

Penner might as well have read Jim Harbaugh's credentials on Indeed.

As Sean Payton's Broncos prepare to host Harbaugh's Chargers on Sunday, it's a debate worth revisiting.

Who has it better than her? No one! But are the Broncos better? Has the winding path from Hackett's Sesame Street to Payton's Compete Street worked out for the best and put the Broncos on the road to redemption?

In a word: yes. But that conclusion requires hypothetical guesswork and the belief that Harbaugh, while successful, would have remained too loyal to Russell Wilson.

Both Payton and Harbaugh were strong candidates for the Broncos' vacancy in 2023. Harbaugh had the big picture. He was the first external coaching candidate that Penner and the selection committee interviewed. For a tumultuous franchise, Harbaugh checked all the boxes, winning at San Diego, Stanford (where Penner and Carrie Walton Penner have close ties), San Francisco and Michigan. “Harbaugh” and “smart” distinguish every Harbaugh team and make him the Broncos’ top target.

The first discussion took place virtually. The next seven candidates met in person. Then things got weird. A week after his Zoom, Harbaugh was considered out of the game after Michigan President Santa Ono revealed on Twitter that the coach had told him he would “stay” in Ann Arbor.

But about a week later, Penner returned to meet Harbaugh in person. Sources told the Post that there was no offer, but the feeling was that it was his job if he wanted it. In the end, Harbaugh decided to stay at Michigan, a wise decision as he went 15-0 the following season and won a national championship.

The Broncos were moving heavily toward DeMeco Ryan, but realizing he was likely headed to Houston, they turned their attention to Payton.

The former Saints coach had many of Harbaugh's traits and secured nine playoff berths in 15 seasons in New Orleans, including a Super Bowl title in 2009.

With a win on Sunday, Payton would improve to 12-11 as Denver's head coach. He impressed Penner in his first season with his willingness to train players hard in practice while leaving behind unhappy and underperforming veterans like Randy Gregory and Frank Clark. This created a standard that seems to be gaining even more traction this season.

And did I mention that Payton benched Wilson and ended up cutting him? Penner agreed to swallow $85 million in dead money so the Broncos could move forward in the draft with Payton's hand-picked Bo Nix.

Nix will shape Payton's legacy in Denver. And as the quarterback improves while protecting the football and avoiding sacks, it's clear that the Broncos continue to be in a better position with Payton.

Simply put: If Nix strikes, the Broncos are finished.

Outside of his tenure at Michigan, Harbaugh doesn't engage in long-term, style-disrupting management. Would he have worked in Denver? Secure. But not in the way this franchise needed.

Harbaugh would have focused much more on fixing Wilson than Payton did. Remember how he revived Alex Smith in San Francisco? Harbaugh connects with his quarterbacks on an emotional level.

Let's say Wilson puts up similar stats to Payton's, but those will be seen as progress by Harbaugh because he likes going outside the box in offensive coordinator Greg Roman's scheme. Of course, he would have stayed with Wilson in 2024 — and the Broncos wouldn't have drafted fellow Michigan native JJ McCarthy because of the prohibitive price of moving up. In this scenario, the Broncos end their seven-year playoff drought and are eliminated in the first round.

It's an admirable achievement, but one that results in unnecessary commitment. In summary, Wilson will remain in place in 2025 and the Broncos will miss the postseason as the quarterback ages by dog ​​years. Much like the potential Aaron Rodgers-Nathaniel Hackett pairing in Denver, Harbaugh-Wilson would have delayed the inevitable. This franchise has needed a hard reset with a first-round quarterback since 2017. (Yes, that should have been Paxton Lynch. Unfortunately, it wasn't.)

Would you clinch a single playoff spot and start over in 2026 with Harbaugh at quarterback instead of Payton? It's not a bad place to live – although I fear Harbaugh's mercurial nature would come to light after a few seasons.