SAINTS vs. BRONCOS CONNECTIONS
Denver Head Coach Sean Payton served as head coach of the Saints from 2006-21, leading the club to a regular season record of 152-89 and playoff mark of 9-8, including capturing the Super Bowl XLIV championship. Payton is the winningest head coach in Saints history.
Denver fullback Adam Prentice played for the Saints from 2021-24.
Broncos Special Teams Coord./Asst. Head Coach Darren Rizzi coordinated Saints special teams from 2019-24, adding the assistant head coach title in 2022 and serving as interim head coach the final eight games of 2024.
Saints cornerback Isaac Yiadom was originally a third round selection of the Broncos in 2018 and spent his first two NFL seasons in Denver. Yiadom and Broncos linebacker Dre Greenlaw were teammates in San Francisco in 2024.
Broncos Defensive Line Coach Jamar Cain served as LSU’s run game coordinator/defensive line coach in 2022.
New Orleans Offensive Coordinator Doug Nussmeier spent the 1998 preseason with the Broncos and played collegiately at Idaho.
New Orleans tight end Taysom Hill prepped at Highland (Pocatello, Idaho) HS and played five seasons at Brigham Young.
New Orleans tackle Barry Wesley prepped at Bear Creek (Lakewood, Colo.) HS and played four seasons (2018-21) at Colorado State.
Saints Head Coach Kellen Moore and wide receiver Cedrick Wilson Jr. both played at Boise State.
Saints Pro Scout Josh Hill prepped at Blackfoot (Idaho) HS and played at Idaho.
New Orleans tight end Treyton Welch and defensive end Carl Granderson played at Wyoming.
New Orleans defensive end Jonah Williams prepped at (Meridian, Idaho) HS and played four seasons at Weber State (2016-19).
New Orleans tight end Jack Stoll prepped at Regis Jesuit (Aurora, Colo.) HS.
Stoll and Broncos linebacker Alex Singleton were teammates in Philadelphia in 2021.
New Orleans cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry and punter James Burnip and Denver linebackers Drew Sanders and Que Robinson were teammates at Alabama.
New Orleans Defensive Pass Game Coord. Terry Joseph and Broncos Defensive Coord. Vance Joseph, both Westbank natives and Archbishop Shaw graduates, are cousins. Terry Joseph tutored Broncos cornerback and 2024 Thorpe Award winner Jahdae Barron at Texas.
Saints linebacker Nephi Sewell was a teammate of Broncos linebackers Karene Reid and Jonah Ellis at Utah.
Saints linebacker Jaylan Ford, tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. and defensive tackle Vernon Broughton were Longhorn teammates of Barron.
New Orleans Senior Offensive Assistant Scott Linehan played quarterback at Idaho from 1982-86 and coached for the Vandals from 1989-90 and from 1992-93.
Broncos Vice President of Player Personnel Cody Rager served in the New Orleans player personnel department in several positions from 2015-24.
Saints Edges Coach Jay Rodgers served as an assistant in Denver from 2009-14.
New Orleans Defensive Coordinator Brandon Staley served as linebackers coach of the Broncos in 2019.
Denver Senior Offensive Assistant Pete Carmichael served on the Saints coaching staff from 2006-23, including serving as offensive coordinator from 2009-23.
Saints Head Strength & Conditioning Coach Dan Dalrymple served in the same position in New Orleans from 2006-21.
Broncos Offensive Coordinator Joe Lombardi served on the New Orleans staff from 2007-13 and 2015-20.
Lombardi tutored Moore as offensive coordinator of the Detroit Lions in 2014 and tutored Staley when he was offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach and Staley played quarterback at Mercyhurst in 2005. Lombardi served on Staley’s staff with the Los Angeles Chargers as offensive coordinator from 2021-22, along with Rodgers and Saints Offensive Line Coach Brendan Nugent. Staley tutored Denver linebacker Andrew Farmer in Los Angeles in 2023, where Farmer and New Orleans defensive end Chris Rumph II were teammates.
Denver Defensive Quality Control Assistant Todd Davis played for New Orleans in 2014.
Denver Offensive Quality Control Coach Logan Kilgore went to training camp with the Saints in 2014 and served as quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator for Isidore Newman (New Orleans, La.) HS in 2022.
Denver Defensive Pass Game Coordinator/Asst. Head Coach Jim Leonhard went to training camp with the Saints in 2013.
Denver Special Teams Quality Control Coach Zach Line played fullback and excelled on special teams for the Saints from 2017-19.
Broncos Asst. Special Teams Coach Marwaan Maalouf served in the same position for New Orleans in the second half of the 2024 season.
Denver Offensive Run Game Coord./Asst. Head Coach Zach Strief played for the Saints from 2006-17, served as their radio play-by-play voice from 2018-20 and on their coaching staff from 2021-22.
Denver Offensive Quality Control Coach Favian Upshaw served on Tulane coaching staffs from 2018-19 and 2022.
Denver Senior Defensive Assistant Joe Vitt served as assistant head coach/linebackers of the Saints from 2006-16 and as interim head coach for ten contests in 2012. Vitt’s son, Joey Vitt Jr., is an area scout for the Saints. Saints Senior Defensive Assistant Peter Giunta and Vitt served on the same Kansas City Chiefs coaching staff from 2001-03.
Saints defensive tackle Nathan Shepherd and Broncos Offensive Pass Game Coordinator/Quarterbacks Coach Davis Webb were teammates with the New York Jets in 2018.
New Orleans quarterback Spencer Rattler, linebacker Danny Stutsman, Denver linebacker Nik Bonitto and wide receiver Marvin Mims were college teammates at Oklahoma.
Denver fullback Michael Burton played for New Orleans in 2020. Burton and Saints running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire were teammates at LSU.
Saints defensive end Chase Young and linebacker Pete Werner were teammates of Denver outside linebacker Jonathon Cooper at Ohio State. Young and Greenlaw were teammates with the 49ers in 2023.
Denver defensive tackle Jordan Jackson was a sixth round pick of the Saints in 2022 and spent his rookie season on the practice squad.
Denver wide receiver A.T. Perry was a sixth round pick of the Saints in 2023, played for New Orleans from 2023-24 and was a college teammate at Wake Forest of Saints defensive end Jasheen Davis.
Denver tight end Lucas Krull was signed by the Saints as an undrafted free agent in 2022 and spent his rookie season with the team.
Denver kicker Wil Lutz was signed by New Orleans at the end of the 2016 preseason, played for the Saints from 2016-22 and is ranked second in club record books in scoring (781) and field goals (286).
Denver defensive tackle Malcolm Roach prepped at Madison (Baton Rouge, La.) Prep and played his first four NFL seasons for New Orleans from 2020-23.
New Orleans tight end Foster Moreau played with Broncos quarterback Jarrett Stidham in Las Vegas in 2022.
Denver offensive lineman Calvin Throckmorton was signed by New Orleans as an undrafted free agent in 2020 and played for the team from 2020-22.
Saints tight end Juwan Johnson, center/guard Shane Lemieux, quarterback Tyler Shough and Throckmorton were college teammates at Oregon.
Saints Associate Head Coach/Running Backs Joel Thomas played at Idaho from 1993-98 and served on their staff from 2004-05.
New Orleans quarterback Jake Haener and Denver linebacker Levelle Bailey were college teammates at Fresno State.
Saints wide receiver/return specialist Rashid Shaheed was a five-year letterman for Weber State, where he finished his college career as one of the Football College Subdivision’s most prolific kickoff returners all-time. Shaheed appeared in 52 career games and finished with 88 kickoff returns for 2,560 (29.1 avg.) with seven touchdowns and had 40 punt returns for 575 yards (10.8 avg.). He also recorded 146 receptions for 2,164 yards (14.8 avg.) with 18 touchdowns.
New Orleans wide receivers Roderick Daniels Jr. and Moochie Dixon played at SMU with Denver nose tackle Jordan Miller.
Denver defensive end Sai’vion Jones prepped at St. James (Vacherie, La.) HS and played at LSU from 2021-24.
