Arizona Cardinals vs the Denver Broncos for their first NFL preseason game of the 2023 seanson
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Sean Payton tried to get a little tricky as he began his tenure as the head coach of the Denver Broncos. In his first play call as the leader of the franchise, the veteran coach opted for an onside kick at the beginning of Denver's Week 1 opener against the Las Vegas Raiders. For a moment, it looked like the gutsy play was going to pay off for Payton with the Broncos recovering the kick, but the team was called for an illegal touch that gave possession to the Raiders. 

Still, it was a remarkable decision by Payton, who is certainly setting the tone that he'll be ready and willing to try and catch teams by surprise. 

Of course, Payton is arguably best known for his onside kick call during Super Bowl XLIV when his Saints were opening up the second half against the Colts. Instead of kicking the ball away to Indianapolis to begin the third quarter, Payton opted for the onside kick, which helped spark the franchise's victory where they outscored the Colts 25-7 in the second half. 

Payton decided to come out of retirement this offseason to accept the head coaching job of the Broncos. Because Payton was still under Saints control, he was acquired by Denver this offseason with the club trading a 2023 first-round pick and a 2024 second-rounder in exchange for Payton's rights along with a 2024 third-round pick.