Watching Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton observing his team while bent over with his arms on his knees raised concerns about his health at 62. After their Week 1 game, he revealed that he had been dealing with a spinal disc issue (L4 – L5). A day after his squad defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 2, those questions evolved into whether he’d require surgery to fix the issue.
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“No, no, no, no. Fair question,” Coach Payton said on the Orange and Blue Today. “So, in 2013, I had an L4-5, a little disc issue, and it was just from too much CrossFit or working out, and so that kind of calmed down, and then cleared up this summer. So, I already had the little procedure, which is an epidural injection. It really can get aggravated when you’re standing for three and a half – four hours. No, there’s no surgery for the back.
“I’ve got a toe issue. There’s some other issues now that are crickety, but the stress on the back can be relieved if you get into that position. But that actually – 13 years ago was the first time that that area of your 4-5, which is a specific location that can give you more of a radiating pain than a true pain, if that makes any sense.”
The L4-L5 disc in the spine is where the most stress falls on a human body. These are the two lowest vertebrae that sit right above the waist, supporting the body and offering mobility. When we talk about back pain, these two vertebrae are more susceptible to developing pain than anywhere else on the spine. For 13 years, that’s what Coach Payton has been dealing with.
It was perhaps the accumulation of all of these injuries and aggravations that led to Sean Payton taking a break from football after the 2021 season. After 16 years of head coaching the New Orleans Saints, facing a new era without Drew Brees had robbed him of the passion he once felt for football. At the time, he’d even cited his health as being one of the reasons for walking away.
“I felt the time was right – for me,” he said. “It’s something I’ve been thinking about…Not many get to choose their terms. And I looked at it as an opportunity to see my kids more, to travel more, to get in better shape.”
Cut to 2026, the ailments haven’t vanished, but the passion for football has been reignited as he enters his fourth year coaching the Broncos. He’s already turned them into a championship-caliber team, who are looking forward to building on their 1-1 record as they get ready to host the Los Angeles Rams in Week 3. We will most likely see Sean Payton hunched over on the sideline once again, but at least we can rest assured that the head coach isn’t moving from that spot anytime soon.