Sean Payton has pulled back from the void twice, in his adult life. Twice, the competitive arena he craves has faded away, and his fire has been left with no match to burn. Twice, there’s been no need for the daily Mountain Dew and Coca-Cola binges, the chance at discovering a new offensive wrinkle that the Broncos’ head man’s eyes glued to tape until the wee morning.

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One such time came in 2022, when Payton stepped away after 15 years coaching the New Orleans Saints and took a gig working as an analyst at FOX Sports. Still, he would hardly be able to wait all week to get to the studio on Sundays. Still, FOX staff would have to kick him out of the building those nights, Payton remembered Wednesday. Still, he needed an outlet.

The other such time came

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