George Paton's 6 best decisions with the Broncos

[ASFN Admin]

Denver Broncos general manager George Paton finally agreed to a new five-year contract on Friday, a well-deserved act of faith for the man who has weathered some of the most difficult storms since the Peyton Manning era. In honor of the freshly-inked deal, let's take a look back at the five best decisions made by Paton in his tenure since 2021.

1. Cutting ties with Russell Wilson, Nathaniel Hackett​

Although this correlates to the worst decision of the Paton era, firing Nathaniel Hackett and cutting quarterback Russell Wilson was a much-needed and justifiable decision. Wilson's dead money (a then-record $85 million) forced the Broncos to get more creative with how they acquired talent: growing through the draft, as well as strategic trades. The Hackett firing was ultimately ownership's call, and coach Sean Payton had a big say in the Wilson decision, but Paton was undoubtedly involved in both moves, helping fix his previous mistakes.

2. Trading for the rights to head coach Sean Payton​

In the wake of the Hackett firing, the Broncos needed a battle-tested, championship-caliber coach. And it didn't matter if he was retired. Sean Payton had stepped away from the New Orleans Saints after the 2021 season to go into broadcasting. Paton and Co. made sure Payton wouldn't be off the sideline for more than one season, trading a first-round pick in the 2023 NFL draft and a third-round pick in the 2024 NFL draft for the play-calling savant. That decision has paid dividends looking back now.

3. Drafting QB Bo Nix​

This one is a gimme. Bo Nix led his team to the playoffs in each of his first two seasons, and the Broncos were a fractured ankle away from a Super Bowl berth in 2025. Nix's selection and success in his early seasons have returned the championship aspirations to Mile High, with sky-high expectations of the team coming in 2026.

4. Signing in-house players before contracts expire​

Like it or not, Paton has put on a masterclass in signing in-house players before their contracts expire, beating an ever-increasing market for positional value across the board. The examples are countless: Pat Surtain signing a four-year $96 million extension in 2024, making him the highest-paid corner in NFL history at the time. Surtain is now fifth in average money per year, per Spotrac, and Surtain won Defensive Player of the Year in 2024. Pass rusher Nik Bonitto got a four-year, $106 million deal ahead of a pass-rusher explosion. Defensive lineman Zach Allen got his own four-year, $102 milliondeal. The list goes on and on. Paton has been able to re-sign players ahead of the market, keeping the Broncos in contention without breaking the bank, with little to no drama that other teams face re-signing their own stars.

5. Drafting Pat Surtain (and many more)​

Paton's first draft class featured cornerback Pat Surtain (2021), guard Quinn Meinerz (2021) and outside linebacker Jonathon Cooper (2021), among other starters. His hits since then have also included pass rusher Nik Bonitto (2022), wide receiver Marvin Mims (2023), cornerback Riley Moss (2023) and Nix (2024). We need more time to evaluate the 2025 and 2026 classes, but overall, Paton's done a good job drafting.

6. Staying in Denver​

With the Broncos returning to relevance after all these events, Paton was right to stick around to see this thing all the way to the end. With Super Bowl expectations returning and staying with this ownership group, this head coach and this roster, Paton is set to remain with the Broncos for another half-decade.

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This article originally appeared on Broncos Wire: Denver Broncos: George Paton's 6 best decisions as team's GM

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