Tag: Michael Burton

Sean Payton’s Broncos to sign another former Saints player

Sean Payton’s Broncos are going to sign another former Saints player, having reached an agreement with Chiefs fullback Michael Burton:

It doesn’t seem to end. Yet another former New Orleans Saints standout is expected to join Sean Payton on the Denver Broncos — with fullback Michael Burton leaving the Kansas City Chiefs for a new deal with Denver, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. Burton played for Payton in New Orleans during the 2019 and 2020 seasons before leaving for the Chiefs, and now they’re going to be reunited.

Payton’s Broncos recently signed former Saints practice squad wide receiver Lil’Jordan Humphrey, which followed the hirings of multiple old Saints assistant coaches and staffers. Payton siphoned a lot of talent out of New Orleans once he returned from hiatus, but it remains to be seen how well all of these new parts will work together with embattled franchise quarterback Russell Wilson.

Saints fans will get their up-close look at Payton’s Broncos team when they visit the Caesars Superdome for a game in 2024.

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Broncos signing fullback Michael Burton to 1-year contract

The Broncos are bringing in Super Bowl champion Michael Burton to serve as their new fullback.

The Denver Broncos have agreed to terms on a one-year contract with free agent fullback Michael Burton, according to a report from NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

The one-year deal will be worth $1.3175 million, according to KUSA-TV’s Mike Klis.

Burton (5-11, 242 pounds) will replace tight end/fullback Andrew Beck, who the Broncos let walk in free agency this week. Beck agreed to a two-year, $6.75 million contract with the Houston Texans on Monday.

Burton, 31, has spent time with five NFL teams, most recently with the Kansas City Chiefs from 2021-2022. He now lands with a division rival after winning Super Bowl LVII with the Chiefs last season.

In Denver, Burton will reunite with coach Sean Payton after he previously served as the New Orleans Saints’ fullback in 2020. Burton also spent time with the Saints in 2019, but only in the offseason.

Through eight seasons in the NFL, Burton has rushed 28 times for 62 yards and two touchdowns and totaled 18 receptions for 123 yards and another score as a receiver out of the backfield. His primary duty is blocking — it’s not a glamorous role, but it’s an important part of Payton’s offense.

After signing two offensive linemen, a blocking tight end, a running back and a fullback early in free agency, Payton seems to have sent a clear message that the Broncos plan to run early and often in 2023.

We are tracking all of Denver’s free agency moves on Broncos Wire.

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Gallery: Rutgers football alums Isiah Pacheco, Michael Burton win Super Bowl and celebrate with the Kansas City Chiefs

Rutgers football has two new Super Bowl winners with Isiah Pacheco and Michael Burton winning on Sunday with the Kansas City Chiefs.

Two Rutgers football alums added some jewelry this past weekend with Michael Burton and Isiah Pacheco winning the Super Bowl with the Kansas City Chiefs.

It was a very different path to the Super Bowl for the Rutgers duo. Pacheco, as a rookie, walked into a very strong team in the Chiefs. And it was the play of the seventh-round pick who helped elevate the Chiefs in the second half of the season, that helped his team lift the Vince Lombardi Trophy on Sunday.

Pacheco had a very strong Super Bowl with 15 carries for 76 yards and a touchdown.

As for Burton, this was his eighth season in the NFL and his first trip to the Super Bowl. It was an experience he said he has been dreaming of since he was a little boy.

He had his usual yeoman-like effort in winning the championship. He played on four percent of the offensive snaps and 52 percent of special teams snaps in the 38-35 win. He assisted on a tackle on special teams.

Check out these photos of former Rutgers football standouts Isiah Pacheco and Michael Burton in Sunday’s Super Bowl win from the Kansas City Chiefs!

Chiefs FB Michael Burton says no moment is too big for Isiah Pacheco

With Super Bowl LVII on the horizon, #Chiefs FB Michael Burton knows that RB Isiah Pacheco is ready for the big stage.

Kansas City Chiefs FB Michael Burton has always known there was something special about rookie RB Isiah Pacheco. It wasn’t just their bond as former Rutgers alumni, but the passion with which Pacheco ran the football which impressed Burton. Pacheco seems to play every snap like it’s his last time touching the football.

Burton has played a role in Pacheco’s development as a rookie, helping him get acclimated during his earliest days with the team. In a recent interview with Rutgers Wire’s Kristian Dyer, Burton was asked his thoughts about Pacheco with the 2022 NFL season now in the rearview.

Burton detailed why he believes Pacheco’s had such success in Kansas City and why no moment, including Super Bowl LVII, is too big for the rookie running back.

“(He’s) always dancing, always,” Burton told Dyer of Pacheco. “I just don’t (think any moment is) too big for him. I mean he puts in the work. He’s obviously an incredible talent. Those two things, you put them together. You see the product that he puts on the field as a young rookie running back, breaking tackles, running through guys, around guys. Protection when catching the ball. And he’s doing it all right now at a very high level. I think it’s because of the work ethic he has plus his talent, you mesh those two things and you get such a great product, and that’s what he’s doing right now.”

Pacheco managed 85 yards from scrimmage against the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC Championship Game. He had 101 yards from scrimmage against the Jacksonville Jaguars the week prior. It stands to reason that the Chiefs will need another big performance from Pacheco against the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LVII if the team is to come away with a win.

He certainly has the talent to make it happen, all it takes now is him putting the work in ahead of the game. If Burton’s assessment of Pacheco is any indication, that’s not something Chiefs Kingdom will have to worry much about.

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A pair of former Saints will go to Super Bowl LVII with the Chiefs

A pair of former New Orleans Saints will go to Super Bowl LVII with the Kansas City Chiefs: fullback Michael Burton and center Austin Reiter

A pair of former New Orleans Saints players will be going to Super Bowl LVII with the Kansas City Chiefs: fullback Michael Burton and center Austin Reiter, who will line up against many of their former teammates now playing for the Philadelphia Eagles. Whichever team comes out on top with a championship win and the Lombardi Trophy in hand, some former members of the black and gold stand to benefit.

Mike Burton has helped Chiefs rookie RB Isiah Pacheco acclimate to the NFL

Mike Burton discussed the knowledge he’s shared with fellow Rutgers alum and #Chiefs rookie RB Isiah Pacheco. | from @EdEastonJr

The average NFL fullback in the league doesn’t have many plays run specifically for them, instead serving as a lead blocker for running backs and extra protection for quarterbacks. That’s the case for Kansas City Chiefs FB Michael Burton, who was involved in fewer than 10% of the team’s offensive snaps in 2021.

Burton is blocking for some new faces this season. After Sunday’s practice, he discussed some of those new running backs, including his mentorship to a new rookie teammate and fellow Scarlet Knights alumnus Isiah Pacheco.

“I’ll say this first and foremost, they’re all great backs. So they make my job a lot easier, “said Burton. “That’s for sure. That’s first and foremost. And secondly, yeah, it’s nice to know you got a guy like (Isiah) Pacheco, who’s got a lot of juice out of the stance. So maybe you’ve got to make sure you get out of there a little bit quicker and stuff like that. Where maybe a back that’s a little bit more patient, he’s going to read it through. So then you have a little bit more time to read through as well.

“So I like to get feedback from them and what they want. I’m out there to help them succeed the best they can. So it’s just a lot of communication back and forth.”

Burton, as he told Chiefs Wire back in May, did have familiarity with Pacheco before he arrived in Kansas City. They didn’t have the opportunity to play together in New Brunswick, but Burton had met Pacheco in his trips back to visit the Scarlet Knights.

“I knew a little bit about him (Pacheco) prior, just having played at Rutgers,” said Burton. “You know, when I went back a few years ago, when he was at Rutgers, I came back for some spring practices. I thought, ‘Okay, this kid’s got some juice.’ He’s strong and powerful, he can run. A good kid who wants to learn. So he’s been exciting to watch out here. And he’s been doing a great job.”

Burton was drafted in the fifth round of the 2015 NFL draft by the Detroit Lions. After Pacheco was drafted, the two reconnected quickly and Burton has been helping the rookie ever since.

“When he got drafted, he reached out to me,” said Burton. “We communicated a little bit, and I tried to prep him just for rookie minicamp, OTAs, and what to expect in training camp. And just the life as a rookie, you know, it can be tough at times. So just trying to help (Isiah Pacheco) out any way I can.”

With all of the hype that the seventh-round rookie has been getting during training camp, Burton’s veteran wisdom has clearly made an impact on the rookie.

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Rutgers football alum Michael Burton talks impact of Andy Reid and Greg Schiano

Michael Burton talks about the impact of Andy Reid and Rutgers football head coach Greg Schiano on his career.

The influence of two head coaches looms large in the career of [autotag]Michael Burton[/autotag], the Kansas City Chiefs fullback who re-signed with the team last month. A former All-Big East selection at Rutgers, Burton credits his current head coach as well as his former college head coach in shaping him into one of the top players at his position in the NFL.

Burton talked glowingly about the impact of his current head coach, Andy Reid. He also spoke about the role that Greg Schiano played in giving him a shot to play college football.

Burton has become a big part of the Chiefs both on offense but also on special teams. He talked about how the Chiefs are being shaped by its leadership:

“I think it’s the players that are brought into the program. [Head coach] Andy Reid and general manager [Brett] Veach do a great job of not just getting top players who are great, but players who also are good people,” Burton told ‘Rutgers Wire.’

“Not just hard-working but also talented players. It makes for a competitive locker room. Coach doesn’t have to scream and yell, the players take control of that. It is a player-driven locker room and team. KC has that for sure. I think really stood out to me last year and is part of the reason I wanted to come back.”

He said that coach Reid is a “strong voice who gives the players a voice in the locker room.”

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Burton also looks back at his first coach in college, the aforementioned Schiano.

It was Schiano who recruited Burton as a walk-on, giving the New Jersey high school football standout the opportunity to join the then Big East program. One of the best players to come out of Morris County the past decade.

“I think having coach Schiano in the program a few years, he’s building that culture that is similar to what I played in years before. Rutgers is winning games, getting to a bowl game. He’s getting the recruits. It is building back up, getting the recruits that are his standard, getting the recruits that can help in the Big Ten,” Burton said.

“In today’s world, everyone wants instant gratification. But to build things the right way, it takes time. To do it the right way, you need to have patience.”

Keeping an eye on the rebuild at his alma mater, Burton sees Rutgers heading in the right direction.

“There is a no-nonsense toughness about him that helps prepare you not just for football but for real life. The way he runs the program, he treats you like a pro. He demands a lot,” Burton said.

“But the way he does it, I’m so thankful to have gone through it. I don’t think I realized it at 18, 19 [years old] but everything I’ve learned from him is transferrable to real life. He’s growing boys into men. It’s something that he is the best at. While he demands a lot, he’s very personable. I can attest to that – I was a walk-on who was treated like a five-star recruit.”

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Chiefs to re-sign FB Michael Burton

The first free agency news for the #Chiefs: The team intends to re-sign FB Michael Burton per a new report.

The Kansas City Chiefs plan to re-sign one of their own to kick off 2022 NFL free agency.

After a quiet day, the Chiefs are officially on the board with their first move. According to a report from Pro Football Network’s Aaron Wilson, the Chiefs are set to re-sign FB Michael Burton on a one-year deal. KC Star beat writer Herbie Teope has since confirmed the report.

A former fifth-round draft pick by the Detroit Lions back in 2015, Burton has since played for the Chicago Bears, the Washington Football Team, and the New Orleans Saints. He spent the 2021 NFL season as the fullback for the Chiefs after agreeing to a one-year deal at the onset of last year’s free agency period. It looks like he’ll be the starter at the position for Kansas City once again.

Burton didn’t play a big role in terms of offensive production in 2021, with just eight carries for 26 yards and one rumbling touchdown run, all mostly coming in short-yardage situations. He was sure-handed when called upon, catching 3-of-3 passes for 31 yards.

Production in the box score isn’t exactly what Burton is known for though. He’s praised for his blocking and doing the dirty work, as well as his special teams ability. He also made quite an impression on his teammates and the staff in Kansas City after spending just one season with the team.

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Who’s left: Tracking former Lions still playing in the postseason

Who’s left: Tracking former Detroit Lions still playing in the AFC and NFC championship round

The NFL is down to its final four. After an incredible divisional round, the championship games for the AFC and NFC will have a hard time matching the action. But several former Detroit Lions will try and help their new teams advance to the Super Bowl.

There are several former Lions still alive in the postseason. One is far more prominent than all the others combined, of course, but each team has at least a little Detroit flavor on the roster.

WATCH: Chiefs FB Michael Burton rumbles for first score vs. Chargers

#Chiefs FB Michael Burton got the party started for the KC offense with a seven-yard rushing touchdown. | from @TheJohnDillon

The Kansas City Chiefs fired the opening salvo of their Thursday Night Football matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 15 with a slick fullback dive from seven yards out on their first drive. First-year Chief Michael Burton was given the ball on a third and one with the end zone in view, and he hurdled defensive linemen in the hole to bulldoze his way to six points.

Watch the big play that put Kansas City up early here, and check out how badly Andy Reid fooled the Chargers with the motion by Tyreek Hill:

Fullbacks are a rare commodity in today’s NFL, but Kansas City appears to have found a special talent in Burton who was featured prominently on their feel-it-out drive against Los Angeles. Fans lamented the retirement of Chiefs’ mainstay Anthony Sherman in the offseason and wondered if his replacement would be able to fill the shoes he had so capably fit in Andy Reid’s offense.

All signs point to a new offensive direction now, with the fullback position being a triple threat blocker-rusher-receiver in the role Burton is redefining in his first year in Kansas City. He took a screen pass 20 yards earlier in the drive and he’s becoming more and more involved in the Chiefs’ gameplan with each passing week.

Burton has bounced around the league a bit in his seven-year career, but he seems to have found a home with the Chiefs after playing for four other teams since being drafted by Detroit in 2015. This rushing touchdown will go down as the first of his career, though he previously had scored a receiving touchdown in his rookie season as a Lion.

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