Sean Payton Puts His Stamp on the Broncos With Wardrobe-Related Rules

While it's easy to think of an NFL coach as someone who simply prowls the sidelines, yells at referees and occasionally throws a challenge flag, there's more to the job than meets the eye. Allow Sean Payton and his brief time leading the Denver Broncos to be an example of that reality.

Last week, Payton made controversial comments about his predecessor Nathaniel Hackett, but Payton's willingness to make headlines didn't stop there. In fact, he recently went public with some things that he doesn't want to see from his players.

Chief among them? Sunglasses and "Gilligan hats."

Sound unbelievable? Well, there's actually a precedent for his decision.

Sean Payton & Broncos' Behavior

As football fans, it's easy to write off the preseason as a waste of time before the real games start. NFL coaches, however, understand the value of those early weeks. In a league where slim margins can make all the difference, every improvement counts.

That's especially true when you're taking over a new team, as Sean Payton is doing in Denver. And when you consider the Broncos' disappointing 2022 campaign, the head coach has his work cut out for him.

According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, the California native has been using a play clock at practice, hoping to address his team's time-management issues. Payton has also been trying to reduce mental errors and encourage his squad to focus on the next play when things do go wrong.

His efforts aren't limited to on-field behavior, though.

"It's probably just as easy to answer the question as to what I don't want to see [during a preseason game]," Payton explained. "I don't want to see 10 guys on the field. I don't want to see uniforms off after we're done playing, [with] sunglasses on and Gilligan hats on and interviews during the game. That's what I don't want to see, but we will communicate all of that."

And there you have it, straight from the head coach himself.

Payton seems to be underscoring that the Broncos are his team

While there's room to debate the ethics of Payton's choice to publically criticize his predecessor, the message was clear.

Sean Payton is the one in charge.

While the shot at Hackett stole most of the headlines, the Broncos bench boss also announced that he was "going to be pissed off if this is not a playoff team" in a USA Today interview.

Once again, there's no question about who's setting the organizational standards. Payton is in the building, and he expects to win.

The Broncos & Culture Change

And if you think that establishing those standards with something like a dress code is silly, consider one of the most successful culture changes in recent NFL history.

While it may seem unfathomable given their run of success, the Kansas City Chiefs were a disaster before Andy Reid arrived. As Adam Teicher explained in a 2023 ESPN story, Big Red stepped into a divided environment and set the standard.

"Reid also quickly turned around the culture in the Chiefs' locker room," Teicher wrote. "[Linebacker Derrick] Johnson said Reid made an immediate impact by focusing on 'the little things,' like being on time to meetings, not wearing hoodies or hats to meetings and making sure uniforms are on properly."

If you wanted to work with Reid, you had to buy in. If you had other priorities, you were welcome to follow those out the door.

Some could argue that talented players, not behavioral standards, are the key to Kansas City's success. At the same time, though, you could also assert that Reid's culture has kept things from boiling over. The likes of Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce may be stars, but they're still willing to play their parts in collective success.

Will Sean Payton's cultural reset have the same level of success? Only time will tell. In the meantime, though, you can't knock him for trying.