The NFL is a business and owners have little patience for coaches who don’t deliver on-field results. Consequently, there are only five active head coaches with more than a decade of experience: Sean Payton, Mike Tomlin, John Harbaugh, Andy Reid and Mike McCarthy.
Payton and the Denver Broncos are set to face Tomlin and the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday. During his press conference on Wednesday, Payton was asked if he’s developed a friendly rivalry with Tomlin over the years.
“No, I would say we’re friendly though,” Payton said. “I consider him one of my — as you do this long enough, pretty soon you’re not as familiar with the other coaches that are getting hired. He’s a good friend, and he’s obviously a heck of a football coach.
“We didn’t play a lot because I was in the NFC and he was in the AFC. He’s done a great job there for a long period of time. The most impressive thing you would say is his body of work. We like to use that term — his body of work is really impressive.”
Payton and Tomlin faced off three times while Payton was coaching the New Orleans Saints, with the Saints winning all three games. They’ll face off again on Sunday, this time in Denver.
