Broncos Get Surprising Kicker News From Saints That Has Sean Payton Going Viral

The Denver Broncos just got a surprising bit of kicker news out of Sean Payton’s old building.

NFL insider Ari Meirov reported that the New Orleans Saints are moving on from kicker Blake Grupe after multiple misses this season, less than two years after trading Wil Lutz to Denver so Grupe could take over the job.

The twist has Broncos Country talking. Lutz just landed a three-year extension with the Broncos, while Grupe is out in New Orleans and the Saints are pivoting to Cade York — a sequence that quickly sent the “Sean Payton doesn’t miss” meme flying around social media.

Lutz’s recent extension serves as a stark contrast

In a twist that has Broncos Country smiling, Lutz is a secured, proven kicker in the NFL, while Grupe is out in New Orleans as the Saints pivot to former Browns pick Cade York.

It did not take long for Broncos Twitter to connect the dots. The account Denver Broncos 365 quote-posted Meirov’s report with a four-word summary of the whole saga: “Sean Payton doesn’t miss.”

The Saints Moved On From Wil Lutz, but the Broncos Didn’t

When Payton arrived in Denver, one of his first reunion moves was to bring in Lutz, who spent his first seven NFL seasons kicking for the Saints under Payton. New Orleans traded Lutz to the Broncos in 2023 specifically to clear the way for Grupe, an undrafted rookie with a big leg and upside.

The gamble never fully paid off. According to Meirov’s post, Grupe’s two misses this weekend pushed his total to eight on the year, a rough number for a team looking for any semblance of stability. After sticking with him through the bumps, the Saints finally pulled the plug and are turning to York.

Meanwhile, Lutz quietly settled in as Denver’s steady leg. He impressed Payton enough to earn a new three-year deal, locking him in as the Broncos’ long-term answer at kicker while the Saints will now be onto their third option since the original trade.

For Broncos fans, the optics are juicy — especially for New Orleans.

What It Means for Sean Payton & the Broncos

On the field, nothing changes immediately for Denver. Lutz was already under contract and entrenched as the starter.

But the move in New Orleans reinforces the idea that Payton’s trust in his former kicker was more than just nostalgia. Denver cycled through kickers in recent seasons; now they have stability at a position that often only gets noticed when things go wrong.

It also adds another small data point in Payton’s favor as the Broncos continue leveling up their roster and building a contender. The head coach took plenty of heat for veteran-leaning decisions early in his Denver tenure. This one, at least, looks like a clear win: the team that gave up Lutz is still searching for answers, while the team that acquired him just doubled down.

If Lutz continues to deliver in key late-season spots, the contrast between Denver’s stability and New Orleans’ revolving door could look even sharper.

Sean Payton Doesn’t Miss’: Broncos Fans React to Blake Grupe Release

The kicker news immediately turned into a mini-victory lap on social media.

Broncos fans responded to the Grupe report with screenshots of Lutz’s extension, jokes about the original trade and plenty of Payton memes. The “Sean Payton doesn’t miss” line quickly became the go-to caption as fans pointed out that the coach’s faith in Lutz has already outlasted the Saints’ patience with Grupe.

It is only a kicker move, but in a league where thin margins decide seasons, Broncos Country will happily claim any win it can — especially one that makes a former Payton team look like it backed the wrong leg.

Browns QB Dillon Gabriel Gets More Bad News After Losing Starting Job

The Cleveland Browns are rolling with Shedeur Sanders as their starting quarterback and Dillon Gabriel seeing the field again this season appears unlikely.

The Browns have made the decision to stick with Sanders after he led them to a 24-10 victory against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 12. Gabriel missed that game due to a concussion. He’s since been cleared but will now back up Sanders.

“The No. 1 job of a quarterback is to win,” Stefanski said. “So, excited to get that first win under his belt. And the next thing is improvement, and that’s what young players do. Certainly, young quarterbacks do. You get one game better, and that’s just from working at it. So, that’ll be our focus.”

Browns insider Mary Kay Cabot said it will be tough for Gabriel to reclaim the starting spot. It would likely take a few dismal performances from Sanders to send him back to the bench.

“If Shedeur is getting the job done, Dillon might not get back on the field,” Cabot said on 92.3 The Fan. “There might come a point where it makes sense to see a little bit more of him. But, I think the hope inside the building is probably, ‘let’s not let it get to that point.'”

Shedeur Sanders Provides Big Plays for Browns

Gabriel — a third-round pick — went just 1-5 in his starts and failed to provide a spark for the offense. In all, Gabriel completed 59.2% of his passes for 937 yards, seven touchdowns and two interceptions. Browns coach Kevin Stefanski pointed to the chunk plays from Sanders as a reason for sticking with him.

“Obviously the [52-yard completion] to [rookie wide receiver Isaiah Bond] was very, very high degree of difficulty with that play. Are there things that he can do better? Absolutely. We’ve already talked about that with him,” Stefansi said. “He has the mentality that he will make the adjustments to the speed of the game, make the adjustments to what people are giving us to make those improvements.”

Stefanski did not shut the door on potentially going back to Gabriel in the future.

“I’m just going to focus on this week,” he said. “Not going to get much past this week.”

Browns Face Significant QB Decision

Sanders has six games left to show he can be more than a short-term spark and make a legitimate case as Cleveland’s long-term answer. The Browns own two first-round picks in next year’s draft and will have a clear path to selecting a franchise quarterback if they decide to go that route. Fernando Mendoza, Dante Moore, and Ty Simpson headline the early group of prospects expected to be in play.

When Sanders took the field against the Raiders, he became the 42nd quarterback to start for the Browns since 1999. If he wants to stop Cleveland from dipping back into the draft for another swing at the position, Sanders will need to show meaningful growth down the stretch and prove he’s worth investing in.

“I still think I probably would still draft a quarterback in the first round because it’s really hard to know what you have in just six or seven starts with a rookie,” Cabot said.

Sanders’ next test comes on Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers in front of a home crowd.

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