With a third coach firing going down this week, Sean Payton smoke keeps emerging. The Super Bowl-winning coach has given a few interviews indicating a desire to coach again, and it could happen as soon as 2023.
Payton will be coveted by every team with a coaching vacancy, but an unexpected reunion is generating buzz. The Saints potentially bringing back Payton is “the worst-kept secret” in NFL circles, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk notes. Payton is indeed open to a New Orleans return, according to Jeff Duncan of NOLA.com.
The Saints were forced to conduct a coaching search weeks after other HC-seeking teams went through theirs, after Payton stepped down from his 16-year gig. They ended up promoting Dennis Allen, giving the ex-Raiders HC a second chance. Although the Saints are still in contention for the NFC South title, they are 6-9 and could hit double-digit losses for the first time since 2005 — the franchise’s final pre-Payton year. GM Mickey Loomis and owner Gayle Benson are strong supporters of Allen, per Duncan, who notes Payton’s longtime DC is well-liked throughout the organization.
It would make for a historically unusual move for the Saints and Payton to reunite after one year apart, but Loomis remains close with his former coworker. And the Saints hold Payton’s rights through 2024. It would be interesting to see if another team was willing to make a substantial trade offer for Payton, Florio adds that if Payton coaches anywhere next season, it will be back in New Orleans. A source that spoke with Duncan offers the same prediction.
Payton has already begun work on assembling a staff and has studied rosters and cap situations around the league, per Duncan, so it should not be assumed the Saints — who have featured a rather notable roster issue since Drew Brees‘ retirement — have a runaway lead here. But them being back in the mix sets the table for what would be one of the most fascinating transactions in modern coaching history.
Payton, 58, has been connected to a few teams, but avenues toward the positions that cropped up this offseason are closing. The Cowboys and Chargers are heading to the playoffs, and while neither Mike McCarthy nor Brandon Staley are locks to return, both are likely to stay on in their present roles. The Dolphins, as you may have heard, caused quite a stir by showing interest in Payton — to the point they were docked first- and third-round picks for tampering with he and Tom Brady. Although Mike McDaniel‘s team is fading, it would surprise if Stephen Ross made him a one-and-done given the progress Tua Tagovailoa has made this season.
The Broncos and Panthers are both believed to be interested in Payton, but Florio adds neither team appeals to the current FOX analyst. (The Saints trading Payton to the Panthers is a near-impossible scenario to envision as well.) Payton returning to New Orleans would seemingly wall off a quest to become the first head coach to win Super Bowls with two different teams. Several HCs — Don Shula, Dick Vermeil, Bill Parcells, Dan Reeves, Mike Holmgren, John Fox and Andy Reid — have coached two franchises to Super Bowls, but none has negotiated the hurdle of winning it with both.
Returning to New Orleans would also mean a renewed search to find a long-term Brees successor, and the recent report of Payton eyeing Vic Fangio to be his defensive coordinator upon returning further complicates Allen’s status. Allen enjoyed two tours under Payton with the Saints, being the team’s secondary coach from 2008-10 and its DC from 2015-21. Another report indicated Allen was likely safe from being a one-and-done, but Payton being back in play could certainly change that.
At the end of an unremarkable season, it appears the Saints will be a central figure in the 2023 offseason. They may have the chance to rehire the best head coach in team history or trade him for a package that could include a first-round pick.
Hope he comes back to the Saints.
Looks like “the smoke has cleared”. Miami tampering story in the rearview mirror. All parties involved, including all NFL owners, are satisfied with the outcome. IE only the Dolphins penalized. Okay to “come back out of the woods” and “pick up where you left off”. I’m happy for your Sean. Not a Saints fan but IMHO this is good for the league.
Fans and writers act like he is the 2nd coming of Lombardi. He won 1 Super Bowl in 16 years , always had an superb QB and then was often flushed early in the playoffs. Good coach yes. Better than 65% maybe. A Savior for a franchise I just do t see it.
Did this dude ever win a thing with Drew Brees?
Thinking I wouldn’t give up draft picks and a huge contract to a distracted and entitled guy who might well be a product of riding an all time QB’s coattails.
Let someone else find out if he’s worth it.
Feels like the coaching version of last year’s Russell Wilson trade/contract.
He won a super bowl. He had 10 winning seasons out of 15—more winning seasons than the rest of the Saints’ history combined. He also schemed to Brees perfectly.
Yeah, I just realized I missed a key “out”.
Like the Pirates in 1992.
Without Brees, that is.
He managed a winning season last year with four starts from Trevor Siemian and one from Ian Book. For the last few years, Brees was a shell of himself and Payton made it work. The guy’s a really good coach, and I’m always confused at the sheer level of negativity toward him (as a coach) from commenters on here.
Neutral on him. Negative on giving up picks and a Gruden like contract for him.
But, wait…10 of 15 years with Brees he was had a winning season meaning that 5 years with Brees, they had a losing record? That’s actually worse than I’d have guessed.
But moreso, really points out how silly the Yinzgrates are who dump on Tomlin. Never had a losing season (for now) and won with something named Duck Hodges as his starter.
In fairness, four of the other years were 7-9 and one was 8-8, so even the bad years weren’t that bad. But yeah, Steelers fans who dump on Tomlin are spoiled beyond belief. And sure, picks and a Gruden contract is too much for just about any coach, if not every coach.
He won’t go to the broncos. His DC of choice won’t return
You are correct, he will not go to the Broncos. However, he will not go to the Broncos because:
1) Not exactly a warm weather destination
2) Anchored down by a quickly aging QB
3) Salary cap issues
4) No draft stock
5) That whole Vic Fangio thing……
I could see him taking over in Arizona,
If the Cardinals were to fire Kingsbury.
I was really being sarcastic last week when I suggested that Payton would return and have Brady in tow. However, as the NFC South appears to be wide open for the next couple of years, at least, if Payton can scheme for Brady like he did for Brees, and the Saints can stay healthier than this year, and certainly improve on the back end defensively, there’s worse combinations. Maybe they can get a QB in the draft to sit and learn, and move from there. Salary cap is no issue for them, Loomis is the king of “kicking the can down the road “.
I’m not certain that Payton would get the same longevity from Brady that he did from Brees at this point in his career. Is Payton returning for the long haul, or just for a ring or two? The former seemingly would rule out a Brady or Rodgers type ploy, the latter not so much.
I would wonder what other teams would be on Payton’s list. The Chargers, Saints, and who else? The Colts? That could be a chance to start fresh, and in a weak division. Are the Texans involved at all in that consideration? The Cardinals? I find it doubtful that Houston or Arizona are contenders, given the utter lack of any recent success of the first and the dysfunction of the second. Are the Browns crazy enough to fire Stefanski after that huge deal and is Payton crazy enough to want in?
There are still coaches to be fired and GMs to be replaced in the NFL. We won’t see a straight answer for some time, I think.
I wouldn’t necessarily discount the Texans. A chance to mold his quarterback prospect of choice? Not a bad gig. Plus, Houston has accumulated lots of draft capital and is laden with future cap space, opening a window of opportunity. That is, assuming Payton is in it for the long haul
I can see those points, and I believe that they’re good, but the presence of Caserio (at least for the next season) may weigh heavily on that decision for Payton. Caserio has shown himself to have a very determined presence on developments in Houston. I and most of us can likely agree that there is no public indication of whatever vision he has, but it sure does seem that he has a view and direction that only he knows and is devoted to. Would Payton be able to work alongside that, knowing that Caserio would want to retain control? Their last two coaches and the purging of Houston’s roster seem to indicate that Caserio treats coaches as more or less expendable with him seeing himself working as the brains of the operation.
To supplement the article here is a list of SB winning coaches who tried to duplicate the feat with another team.
SB WINNING COACHES SUBSEQENT ATTEMPTS
1. LOMBARDI (REDSKINS) 7-5-2
2. STRAM (SAINTS) 7-21
3. McCAFFERTY (LIONS) 6-7-1
4. DITKA (SAINTS) 15-33
5. PARCELLS (PATRIOTS) 32-32
(JETS) 29-19
(COWBOYS) 34-30
6. SIEFERT (PANTHERS) 16-32
7. JOHNSON (DOLPHINS) 36-28
8. HOLGREM (SEAHAWKS) 86-74
9. SHANAHAN (REDSKINS) 24-40
10. VERMEIL (CHIEFS) 44-36
11. GRUDEN (RAIDERS) 60-57
12. *McCARTHY (COWBOYS)
13. *PEDERSON (JAGUARS)
396-414-3 .487
Sounds like smoke. I’m guessing the Saints would be happy to trade him for a first round pick.
Tom Brady and Sean Payton go to the Patriots?
I guess Nathaniel just couldn’t hack it as an NFL HC. I just can’t wait for Kevin James to play Payton again in Home Team 2: Let’s Ride.