Broncos' Payton responds to critics: 'I have 2 middle fingers'

Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton isn't listening to the naysayers as he prepares for his second season in the Mile High City.

When asked Tuesday if he has a chip on his shoulder due to the discussions surrounding his coaching, Payton offered a blunt response to his critics.

"I think that I have two middle fingers," Payton said, according to Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio. "I've gotten better with age not using them. I think it's more - and I would say this changed for me - it's more inward-focused relative to our own team and what we're doing. As you get older in this, you don't waste the calories on certain things that I might've back in 2006, '07, '08."

The Broncos went 8-9 in their first season under Payton, failing to advance to the playoffs for the eighth straight year.

Prior to joining Denver in 2023, Payton spent 15 seasons in New Orleans, where he posted a 152-89 regular-season record and led the Saints to their first Super Bowl championship.