5. Sean Payton, Denver Broncos
Sean Payton is doing a great job with the Denver Broncos and took a team that was among the most dysfunctional in the NFL following the 2022 NFL Season into one of the most well-run organizations in sports in year three. Denver actually began the Payton tenure 1-5 back in 2023, but it's been winning on top of winning since then.
The main success story for the Denver Broncos in the Sean Payton era has been releasing Russell Wilson and drafting Bo Nix - both moves were the right ones, as the Broncos are just two home wins away from a trip to Super Bowl LX.
Last year, Denver won 10 games and ended up being the last team in the AFC to clinch a playoff spot. This year, Denver was the first team to clinch and obviously earned the top seed, Payton's old-school, Bill Parcells-ian coaching style is precisely what the Denver Broncos franchise needed. He's going to get some Coach of the Year votes.
4. Sean McVay, Los Angeles Rams
Sean McVay will likely end his NFL coaching career as a Hall of Famer. He's fourth in our power rankings after another very good job with the Los Angeles Rams. McVay and the Rams endured two late-season losses that ended up being a primary reason why they were not able to grab the first seed in the NFC playoffs.
However, the Rams took down the Carolina Panthers in the Wild Card Round and will hate a date with the Chicago Bears in the Divisional Round. The Rams should be able to win that game, as McVay and his squad are ahead of Ben Johnson and the Chicago Bears.
Ever since Sean McVay got hired back in 2017, many NFL teams have tried to copy LA - hiring a young, offensive-minded coach. It's worked out in many instances, but in others, it's been a disaster. McVay is a steady, proven, and winning head coach.