These days it is often that Sean Payton is the youngest person in the room. For almost two decades he was the head coach in the NFL and first entered the NFL as an assistant with Philadelphia Eagles in 1997. The players he once trained, such as Dan Campbell and Aaron Glenn, are now piloting their own NFL teams.
So yes, 61 -year -old Denver coach broncos is a bit of a way in his current state of junior statesman in his own division.
“I’m the youngest!” Payton, six days younger than head coach Los Angeles Chargers Jim Harbaugh, exclaimed in February in scouting NFL. “Thanks, Pete.”
Welcome to AFC West, where what is old – or rich in experience to make it more polite – is new again.
When Pete Carroll was 73 years old, hired to become the new head coach of Las Vegas Raiders in January and replaced the fired Antonio Pierce, the average age of coaches in the division increased to 65.5 years. No other NFL division has an average age among its four coaches who even reach 50. Each boss on AFC West has already launched his appropriate coaching career before any head coach in the south AFC – division with the youngest average age at 40.5 years – even achieved high school.
Sideline West leaders joined and won 668 regular games, five Super Bowls and two university national championships (Carroll won one more, but was released for NCAA offenses). There was never a division in which each coach won at least one super bowl or national title.
Disintegration
Division
Coaches
AVG. age
A combined victory in a career
▼
AFC West
Pete Carroll, Jim Harbaugh, Sean Payton, Andy Reid
65.5
668
AFC NORTH
John Harbaugh, Kevin Stefanski, Zac Taylor, Mike Tomlin
49.5
471
NFC West
Jonathan Gannon, Mike MacDonald, Sean McVay, Kyle Shanahan
40.75
172
AFC EAST
Aaron Glenn, Mike McDaniel, Sean McDermott, Mike Vrabel
48.5
168
Nfc north
Dan Campbell, Ben Johnson, Matt Lafleur, Kevin O’Connell
42.5
145
Nfc east
Brian Daboll, Dan Quinn, Brian Schottenheimer, Nick Sirianni
49.3
121
Nfc south
Todd Bowles, David Canales, Kellen Moore, Raheem Morris
47
87
AFC South
Brian Callahan, Liam Coen, Demeco Ryans, Shane Steichen
39.5
40
“It’s excellent,” said Kansas City City Chiefs Brett Vach at this year’s Palm Beach, Florida. “It’s an All-Star set.”
AFC West is now where some of the most experienced coaches in sports have illuminated a new, intoxicating challenge: the release of the iron grip of 67 -year -old Andy Reid and the chiefs held in the division for most of the last decades. Perhaps the most vibrant illustration of dominance: since 2016, Kansas City has gathered more AFC West titles than the loss of games of division (eight).
There is no naivety from other division coaches about what will change this mathematics. But it is definitely not the kind of group that is diminishing from this task. Everyone had to kill the proverbial dragons to reach the peak of the profession. Payton Outwal Hall of Fame Quarterback Peyton Manning to win Super Bowl in 2009. Carroll did the same in 2013 – and a year later one game was from the overthrow of Bill Belichick. Harbaugh defeated Carroll to achieve Super Bowl in 2012 – where he lost with his brother John and Baltimor Ravens – and defeated Nick Saban on his way to the national title in Michigan in 2023.
There is a reason why each coach was chosen for persecution of Reid, the winning active coach of the NFL.
“To fight Andy and Sean and Jimmy Harbaugh, it should be,” said Carroll, former head coach Seattle Seahawks, who had a wild NFC West with Harbaugh when he was coach San Francisco 49ers. “To survive the challenges of this division, we will be ready for what comes. If you expect it to be easy, and you have an advantage, I don’t see it. The harder it is, the better to get well.
Pete Carroll is back in NFL after a one -year break. (Kirby Lee / Imagn Pictures)
This also applies to chiefs, perhaps more than at any moment since their destruction of the division – and the league in general – began.
Reid and Quarterback Patrick Mahomes have led charges for Kansas City since 2017, probably the best Quarterback game and the best coach brings the best in itself. The rest of the division enjoyed the same continuity. The robbers in the same section had six head coaches, including those who have temporary titles, and saw eight different quarterbacks starting the game. Broncos went through five coaches and 14 quarterbacks. Harbaugh has been the fourth coach of Chargers since 2017.
As a result, 2025 differs from AFC West. Not only did each coach picked up the floor of the team they inherited – Payton and Carroll have never won less than seven games since 2006; Harbaugh has never had a record as a NFL coach – but they also met Quarterbacks in their programs. Harbaugh Will Enter His Second Season with for Bowl QB Justin Herbert, The Team’s Starter Since 2020. The Raiders Traded for Veteran Geno Smith, WHO Previously Started for Carroll in Seattle, and Huge Upgrade From Las Vegas Had at The Position in 2024. Season Season with Bo Nix, Who is Coming Off the Best Season for a Rookie Quarterback in Broncos History and Has Alredy Become “One Heck of A Player,” Reid Said.
“(Nix is) exactly what they would have hoped to be,” Carroll added. “I saw him from the opening game of the year and wasn’t ready to be a guy he showed he was later in the season. He became very fast dynamic football player. A huge amount of recognition to Sean – building him and doing it. It’s hard to find out, and those who ever have what is needed to be, it’s, it’s, it’s, it’s. It is that it occurs and is that it is that it is, “
The enemies of the chiefs in the division, of course, believed they were ready for a real run to Champs earlier. For example, before the 2022 season, Broncos traded for a permanent Quarterback for Bowl Russell Wilson. The robbers turned an agreement that the same offseason paired the star wide receiver Davante Adams with his old college QB Derek Carrem. The chargers got a rush with the ridge of Khalil Mack to create a steep tandem with Joey Bosa and then deal with other defensive increments of the awning in a free agency.
Justin Herbert threw 23 landing on only three wiretaps in the first season Jim Harbauggy as head coach Chargers. (Harry How / Getty Images)
Finnish result: The chiefs won the division outgoing and were undefeated in their six AFC West Games. Broncos (Nathaniel Hackett), Chargers (Brandon Staley) and Raiders (Josh McDaniles) eventually carried out their head coaches in the season.
Instead of finding another Sean McVay-trenker Rams, who win a Super Bowl, which is still just a 39-with Challenge on AFC West instead decided for something closer to Reida, at least as the experience. Although the chiefs went 15-2 last season before they were finally blown into the Super Bowl Lix near Philadelphia Eagles, there were hints in the division thanks to the coaching talent injection.
Broncos finally set out his eight -season losses against the chiefs at home during Payton’s first season in 2023. Denver would defeat them last season in Kansas City if he hadn’t blocked an attempt to go in the field in the last game. Meanwhile, the last three losses of Chargers for chiefs came to a combined 12 points.
“We had a really successful regular season … But if you look at the games we played against Chargers and Broncos, they were probably our most difficult games and our most physical games,” Vach said. “This will not change. These teams are added only to what they have talent-wise and improve. It will be a challenge, just win the division next year. This is the kind of thinking we have to offseason.”
Carroll’s arrival at Las Vegas and his encounter with Smith has already made robbers a much impressive team than the one who won the division games last season.
“He’s a great football coach,” Reid said about Carrolla. “He has stability and has a record with it. He will come up with a credit and I think players listen to him. He will bring a hell of a defensive scheme and an abusive scheme.”
Broncos defeated chiefs at the age of 18 last week to win his first Play -off place in nine years, the victory that came when Reid lies his appetizers and key reserves with Seed 1 in AFC already in his hand. After the broncos lost to Buffalo Bills in the first round Play -off, Payton’s mind was back to Kansas City. To actually fight broncos in the play -off, justified by the coach, they would have to host postseason games. And there is only one way that has impressed the organization to earn them.
“Our absolute goal next year,” said broncos owner Greg Penner, “he should win our division.”
Andy Reid and Sean Payton speaks after matches about the 18th week in Denver last season. (Isaiah J. Downing / Imagn Images)
Broncos are not the only clothing with experienced captain hunting of this price. There is another challenge when you are preparing a complete schedule of division games against coaches who have seen it all. But this is what AFC West Crown from 2025 does to earn – whether it is 10 in a row for Reid’s chiefs or No. 1, finally, for someone else.
“You have to go. You have to come across the ground,” Payton said. “No one wants to hear your misery. We’re excited about it. We’re excited about the challenge.”
Athletic Daniel Popper, Tashan Reed and Nate Taylor contributed.
(Best Photos: Sean Payton and Jim Harbaugh by Eric Thayer / Associated Press; Andy Reid and Pete Carroll by Jamie Squire / Getty Images)
