The Denver Broncos collected their 13th win of the 2025 NFL season over the Kansas City Chiefs to cap off Christmas night.
With the win, Denver has to beat the Chargers in their final game, which will likely determine the AFC West winner and clinch home-field advantage for the playoffs and a first-round bye.
The win also made head coach Sean Payton the only coach, besides former Patriots legend Bill Belichick, to win 13 or more games in five different seasons.
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Of course, Belichick did it with the greatest of all time in Tom Brady. Now Payton joins the list with a terrific season from second-year quarterback Bo Nix, dating back to his previous four seasons with the New Orleans Saints when they went 13-3 in where he coached a legendary quarterback in his own right in Drew Brees, who is also a future Hall of Famer, like Brady.
However, for Payton to have a season in Denver where he can lead a different franchise to 13 wins, especially after his tenure did not get off to a great start amid drama surrounding his relationship with Russell Wilson in his first season.
For a second-year player in Nix to be playing as well as he has speaks volumes to how much trust Payton has placed in him, and it has paid off in a big way, with the team primed for a deep playoff run.
Regardless of what one may think of the Super Bowl champion coach, Payton has proved he does what it takes to have his teams successful, and with the bright future Nix has, it is possible Payton could be the first coach to have six seasons with 13 or more wins.
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