George Paton deserves a contract extension with the Denver Broncos

ENGLEWOOD, COLORADO - APRIL 18: Denver Broncos Head Coach Sean Payton, left, and General Manager George Paton talk to media during a pre-draft press conference on in Englewood, Colorado on April 18, 2024. (Photo by RJ Sangosti/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images) | Denver Post via Getty Images Apparently, there were rumors that the Minnesota Vikings would bring back George Paton to run their organization given Paton was in the final year of his contract with the Denver Broncos. That line of thinking seemed to be dead on arrival and plenty more rumors suggesting a contract extension for Paton is in the mix to stay in Denver long-term.

There are no indications that Paton is on his way out in Denver or wants to leave. ESPN senior national NFL reporter Jeremy Fowler reported that Paton appears set to return, and Broncos coach Sean Payton has expressed hope that Paton will sign a contract extension. No tenue is without mistakes.

The hiring of Nathaniel Hackett was certainly a fireable mistake and the Russell Wilson trade was just a desperate swing of the bat to try to turn around a struggling franchise. Despite those two critical failures, Paton was able to keep the boat afloat by drafting amazingly well. He has added a great deal of talent.

The pairing with Sean Payton then brought Bo Nix and back-to-back playoff berths, so its safe to say he has survived those early mistakes and built a much-improved reputation as a general manager. For those reasons, I think he should be a prime candidate to lock in a long-term contract extension with this franchise. As a fan, I feel like they are in good hands with Payton and Paton and I see no reason to mess with the mojo they’ve developed together running the team.