As news broke on Tuesday that former Saints Head Coach Sean Payton would be stepping away from the franchise, the NFL rumour mill kicked into overdrive. The choice of words “stepping away” rather than “retiring” caused football fans to immediately begin speculating what that could mean not only for New Orleans, but Payton himself moving forward.
While news continues to trickle out of the Big Easy, here are the knee-jerk reactions in terms of what Sean Payton’s future could hold:
1)He’s Done With Football
A boring option no doubt, but one that has to be considered. The 58 year old has already won a Super Bowl (XLIV), been named AP Coach of the Year (2006), and has amassed a 152-89 career regular season record, good for 21st all time in league history. There’s not a ton for him left to prove at the NFL level, and after his tumultuous season in New Orleans, he may just be mentally drained at this point.
2)He’s Swapping His Headset for a Microphone
Multiple television networks have already expressed interest in the former coach as a broadcaster or colour commentator. Should Payton elect to remain involved in football, albeit in a less stressful capacity, he’ll have no shortage of suitors clamouring for his services.
3)It’s Just a Hiatus
Payton is currently under contract for another 3 seasons in New Orleans. Again, the choice of words “stepping away” doesn’t preclude the winningest coach in Saints history from reuniting with the team down the road. It could be that the stresses of an NFL schedule during a pandemic, coupled with changes in his personal life caused Payton to need some time away from the Caesars Superdome.
Payton has two children from a previous marriage that are now in their early 20’s. Perhaps the former coach simply wanted to spend more time with his kids before they launch into adulthood. Payton also recently re-married in 2021 to former Miss West Virginia Skylene Montgomery, and could be looking to spend some quality time with his new partner. Both scenarios could see a reunion tour with the Saints happen as early as next season, and there’s also the very real probability that he could simply change his mind after some a few months away from football related activities.
4)He’s Joining Another Team
Here’s where things get interesting. There are several head coaching vacancies around the NFL currently, and possibly more to come if certain teams find out Payton is a genuine option.
The Dallas Cowboys have long been rumoured to covet Payton, and would likely jettison Mike McCarthy in a heartbeat if they felt they could replace him with the former Saints coach. Complicating matters is the fact that Payton remains under contract with New Orleans, meaning they would need to be compensated if he were to go anywhere else.
The move wouldn’t be unprecedented as many will remember the deal that sent Bill Belichick from New York to New England a few decades prior. And Jerry Jones has never been one to shy away from a headline generating move. It’s also interesting to note that after initially endorsing McCarthy following the team’s loss to San Francisco, he’s since walked those comments back as recently as this week. That, coupled with the Payton announcement seem oddly convenient to happen within a matter of days of one another if you’re inclined to believe there’s a larger plan at foot.
It also doesn’t help that the Saints may be in line for a massive step backwards in 2022. After finishing the year at 9-8, the team is bracing itself to lose several players to free agency. New Orleans is currently $74M over the cap and has no long term solutions at quarterback.
Jameis Winston is a UFA this offseason, rookie Ian Book had a disastrous NFL debut throwing for 135yds and 2INTs vs. Miami, and Trevor Siemian was out of the league altogether before the Saints brought him back in 2021. Then there’s Taysom Hill who no one, including the Saints themselves based on his latest contract, seems to know whether he’s a NFL quality quarterback, or just a fun player to have for gadget plays.
Stack all of that up, and it’s hard to get excited about this New Orleans roster, regardless of how much of a personal connection you may have with the city itself. The NFL is increasingly becoming a quarterback driven league, and none of the players listed above would be able to hang with the likes of Mahomes or Allen if they were put in the same position those QBs found themselves in during the Divisional Round.
Should he go somewhere else he would get the chance to work with some exciting young prospects he could help shape in Fields (CHI), Lawrence (JAX), Tagovailoa (MIA), Jones (NY), some established veterans who are far superior to any Saints options at QB in Cousins (MIN), or Carr (LV), and there’s even the “homerun swing” options whereby he could very well take another shot at a Super Bowl as early as next year if the stars align and Rodgers goes to Denver, or the Cowboys bring him in to work with Dak. Hell, if Deshaun Watson ever suits up for the Texans again, even that would be a more appealing option than New Orleans offensively, depleted as their roster may be.
So while there’s likely 5 people or less on the planet who truly know what the rationale behind Payton’s decision is, the fact remains that he holds all the cards at this point. Whether he’s truly done with the game, is ready to make some easy money in broadcasting, or is simply jumping ship, fans can expect this story to dominate sports headlines for at least the next few days.
-Kyle Skinner
Twitter: @JKyleSkinner