Sean Payton clearly appreciates what former players can bring to a coaching staff.
After becoming the Denver Broncos’ head coach, Payton built a staff that includes just-retired former players Davis Webb (as quarterbacks coach) and Chris Banjo (as a special teams assistant), plus several other coaches who spent time in the NFL as players before transitioning to coaching.
Austin King is one of the ex-players now coaching under Payton in Denver. Hired as the team’s assistant offensive line coach, King (41) played center in the NFL with the Atlanta Falcons from 2004-2006. King dressed for 34 games, earning one start, before hanging up his cleats in 2007.
After taking a break from football, King transitioned to coaching and joined Toledo as an offensive quality control coach in 2012. He later held the same role for Syracuse in 2014 before becoming Dayton’s offensive coordinator in 2015.
After eight years after the college level, King got his first opportunity as a coach in the NFL as an offensive quality control coach with the Las Vegas Raiders in 2020. He was promoted to tight ends coach in 2021 before leaving to join the Chicago Bears as an assistant offensive line coach in 2022.
After one season in Chicago, King will now join the Broncos in a lateral move. He will work under offensive line coach Zach Strief, another former player who spent his entire playing career under Payton with the New Orleans Saints.
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