NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Patiently and zealously, Cody Barton fought his way into starting roles in high school, in college and multiple times in the NFL.
When he joined the Broncos in 2024, he’d been a front-liner in Seattle and Washington for the two seasons before. A one-year, $2.5 million deal in Denver didn’t guarantee him anything. It was actually a $1 million come-down from the previous year with the Commanders. He had to fight again.
“After cuts and stuff, Sean Payton has a guy come get me to call me to his office,” Barton said. “And in my mind, I'm like, ‘Oh, he's just going to call me up and say, ‘You had a great camp, excited for this year, whatever.’ And he calls me up and says, ‘We're bringing another linebacker, a kid from Green Bay.’ He's like, ‘We're going to start him over you. I just want to see what he can do. And this is for opening day, just for opening day.’…”
And so, he went home to see his pregnant wife.
“The first 24 hours were just like, ‘Shit,’ you know what I mean?” he said. “Just pissed, kind of kicking myself in the ass, whatever. But then after that 24 hours I gave myself, I just snapped back into, ‘All right you’ve gived yourself a day to have your own your pity party, whatever you want to call it. But now it's time to get back to how-did-you-get-here? You know, you've made it this far. You've endured more than this.’”