The NFL trenches forge respect, not give it. The NFL trenches are where respect is forged, not given. It’s a truth as old as the Steel Curtain, as visceral as Lawrence Taylor crashing a pocket. For the Denver Broncos’ defensive anchor John Franklin-Myers, seeing his unit—and his coach—dismissed lit a fuse hotter than a fourth-quarter pass rush.
When Pro Football Focus dropped its Top 10 Defensive Lines rankings last week, slotting Denver at 8th behind the New York Giants, Houston Texans, and Buffalo Bills, JFM didn’t just raise an eyebrow. He fired back on X (formerly Twitter) with the kind of blunt force only a 6’4”, 288-pound edge wrecker can muster: “Yo who made this dumbass list?”
The graphic, featuring Pittsburgh’s T.J. Watt and crowning the Steelers #1, felt like a slight to a Broncos unit that led the NFL in non-blitz pressure rate (40.7%) last season. For Franklin-Myers—fresh off a career-high 7.0 sacks in his Denver debut—it wasn’t just about numbers. It was about the culture Sean Payton has built.
Yo who made this dumbass list? https://t.co/SvRb9CSBI2
— John Franklin-Myers (@J_FranklinMyers) June 27, 2025
JFM’s defiance isn’t new. It’s carved from a lifetime of overcoming disrespect. His Greenville High School (TX) team endured a 0-40 losing streak. While others transferred, he stayed, adopting a mantra that defines him today: ‘Once I say I’m in it, I’m in it for the long haul.’ His resilience took him from small-college obscurity at Stephen F. Austin—where he ranked 5th all-time in TFLs—to sacking Tom Brady in Super Bowl LIII as a Rams rookie, only to get cut a year later.
“Complacency is dangerous… I won’t get comfortable anymore,” he vowed after that setback. The Jets gave him a second chance, and he repaid them with 26.5 career sacks before landing in Denver. Here, under Payton, he’s found more than a scheme—he’s found belief.
“To play for Coach Sean Payton, I couldn’t pass that up,” Franklin-Myers said upon arriving. “Talk about the defense they run and putting guys in good positions.” That trust is mutual. Payton personally recruited him, praising his “physicality, durability, and consistent pass-rush metrics.” When critics question Payton’s vision? That’s personal.
Why the Payton’s D-Line is far from ‘8th best’
Let’s dissect PFF’s own data. Franklin-Myers generated pressure on 14.7% of pass plays in 2024—2nd among all interior defenders. However, his partner, Zach Allen, ranked 7th (13.2%). Indeed, together, they anchored a front that fueled Denver’s #1 ranked defense (per Pro Football Network), allowing the 3rd-fewest points and setting a franchise record with 63 sacks.“They’re physical, they run, they hit and talk mess while doing it. What else can you ask for?”— Broncos fan on ‘r/DenverBroncos,’ capturing the unit’s identity.
Yet PFF placed the Philadelphia Eagles (#2), Giants (#3), and even the Rams (#9 post-Aaron Donald) above them. For JFM, it’s not just lazy analysis—it ignores the tape. Like a gunslinger spotting a flaw in a rival’s draw (think ‘Red Dead Redemption 2’: ‘You insist? Alright then…’), he sees the oversight as a challenge.
Payton didn’t just trade for JFM; he bet on his mentorship. In New York, Franklin-Myers groomed young linemen like Bryce Huff. In Denver, he’s the “glue” holding a fierce D-line together. His grandfather’s old discipline—two hours of daily handwriting practice—forged a mindset Payton cherishes: precise, relentless, and unyielding.
When the noise comes for his coach, JFM doesn’t just block it. He obliterates it. Because in Mile High, respect isn’t handed out in rankings. It’s earned in the trenches—one QB hit at a time.
Final Thought: As the Broncos prep for a brutal 2025 slate (featuring a London clash vs. the Jets and a Christmas Night duel in Kansas City), Franklin-Myers’s message echoes Denver’s defensive ethos: Doubt us at your peril. The film—and the fury—speak for themselves.
The post Broncos News: Angry John Franklin-Myers Strongly Defends Sean Payton, Rejects Public Disrespect appeared first on EssentiallySports.
