Sean Payton says Broncos practice defending free kicks 'all the time.' Folks aren't buying it.

By Rashad Milligan

Sean Payton says Broncos practice defending free kicks 'all the time.' Folks aren't buying it.

Sean Payton is ready for anything on an NFL field.

At least he claims to be.

On Thursday Night Football, the Los Angeles Chargers did something that hasn't been done in an NFL game since 1976, according to ESPN's Kris Rhim. At the end of the first half of Los Angeles Chargers-Denver Broncos, L.A. attempted, and made a fair catch free kick. A fair catch free kick can be attempted after making a fair catch.

The kick has to be attempted from where the fair catch was made, and the opposing team is not allowed to block it. Since the Chargers made the fair catch near midfield with no time remaining in the second quarter, Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh decided to attempt the 57-yarder.

Chargers kicker Cameron Dicker made the attempt, the longest free kick in NFL history and L.A. went into halftime trailing 21-13. L.A. eventually came back in the second half to win 34-27.

For Harbaugh, it was a joyous opportunity and moment.

"It's my favorite rule in football," he said. "I've been trying to get one of those, like, every game. It's the first one we've made. I tried one with the 49ers that was a 71-yarder. [Phil] Dawson. Yeah, I wanted it so bad that I tried a 71-yarder."

While this was Harbaugh's favorite rule many football fans were previously unaware of, it's something Broncos head coach Sean Payton said his team prepares for often.

"It doesn't happen much, we practice it all the time," Payton said. "In that situation, the penalty put them in field-goal position, so it's disappointing."

Following Payton's claim that his team prepares for such a situation, the former Saints coach was trending on X with fans claiming he made up the idea that his teams are ready for such a rare occurrence.

Justin Macmahan best summed up the sentiment of fans' reaction to Payton's claims.

"Why would Sean Payton say they practice the fair catch free kick?," Macmahan posted on X. "Worst case we assume he's a liar, best case we think he wastes practice time on a play where nobody does anything except the kicker and the holder."

You can watch the rare occurrence, and Payton's reaction, here.

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