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Broncos' Sean Payton Jabs Pete Carroll Over Raiders Job

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Matthew Davis | Last updated Feb 25, 2025 8:15 PM ET

Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton wants to finish ahead of Las Vegas Raiders head coach Pete Carroll's team this coming season except in one category.

Carroll, 73, became the oldest head coach in the league and the AFC West when he took the Raiders job this offseason. Payton, 61, gave Carroll a hard time about it during Tuesday's press conference at the NFL scouting combine.

"I’m the youngest. Thanks Pete," Payton told reporters with a laugh.

All four coaches in the AFC West are 61 or older. Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh is 61, and Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid is 66.

It's also arguably the most successful lineup of coaches out of any division in the NFL. That's starting with Reid, who has won three Super Bowls with the Chiefs, and he had three other Super Bowl appearances amid his head coaching stops.

Harbaugh won a national title at Michigan in 2023 and previously led the San Francisco 49ers to a Super Bowl appearance in 2012. Payton won a Super Bowl with the New Orleans Saints in 2010, and Carroll won a Super Bowl in 2013 with the Seattle Seahawks plus two national titles with USC in 2003 and 2004.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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