Sean Payton has barely been out of the NFL, but the revolving door he exited the Saints from immediately warped into a rumor mill that hasn't stopped spinning since.
Payton retired from the Saints in January after an especially taxing 2021 season. He tested positive for COVID twice publicly, but the reasons he offered for the abrupt retirement were devoid of excuses. "It was time," he said at the time.
At no point, however, has Payton closed the door on a return, although a reunion with the Saints appears unlikely at this point. New Orleans fell on Dennis Allen to take over the head coaching job, while other teams have courted Payton in his retirement.
Payton, of course, is a Saint until the team releases or, more likely, trades him. But he continued his seeming uncertainty about the permanence of his retirement back in July.
It sounds like Payton is done in New Orleans. So where can he go next? And what happened with him this offseason?
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Sean Payton coaching rumors The Sean Payton rumor mill hasn't stopped churning since his abrupt retirement from the team after the 2021-22 season.
The Saints had an incredibly trying year, going 8-9 amidst a hurricane displacing their first home game of the season, Payton missing time due to COVID-19, and Jameis Winston tearing his ACL after a 5-2 start.
The initial thought was that Payton was leaving for the Saints for a television job. In April, it was reported he was nearing a job with Fox , which he eventually accepted.
Then, however, a return to coaching started to pick up steam as the Miami Dolphins sought to pair Payton with Tom Brady in Miami. The Dolphins reportedly asked the Saints to interview Payton, which New Orleans reportedly denied.
The Dolphins, however, supposedly tried to entice Payton with a five-year, $100 million deal. According to Payton, however, he didn't know these machinations were taking place.
I have no clue about the Tampa Bay-Miami Dolphin-Tom Brady rumor. My understanding is, there was a request put in where the intermediaries talked. I'm like the rest of you, I heard that story. …
I wasn't coaching. I told you guys that already. If I had been ready to coach, like this year, I would have stayed in New Orleans. It's nice to have someone interested, and that's about it. Our focus on Tom Brady has been about beating him, not joining him.
Although it didn't work out, Payton's reluctance to say he's done with football rings loudly.
Sean Payton's coaching fits Dallas Cowboys Like it or not, no Payton landing spots conversation is complete without mentioning the Cowboys. He was an assistant head coach in Dallas from 2003-2005, and even when he was coaching the Saints his name constantly came up as a fit for the Cowboys.
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Jerry Jones has sung the praises of Payton in the past, and on paper he's certainly a fit. It's possible, of course, the Saints would rather see Payton out of the NFC, but with the right trade package it could be too much to resist.
The Cowboys, of course, have Mike McCarthy at the helm, but Jones has been less than bullish on McCarthy. He said in July he has "choices" about who is coaching the Cowboys moving forward. So if Dallas gets off to a slow start this season, expect the rumor mill to spin up quickly in Dallas.
Miami Dolphins The Dolphins, of course, had a Charlie Day-esque cork-board with a plan to bring Payton to South Beach. The team was reportedly courting Tom Brady and Payton as a package deal.
While that ultimately fell through, the groundwork is in place. Much like Dallas, Miami is a warm-weather city, which Payton has previously said appeals to him. The Dolphins clearly want to put together the capital to bring Payton to Miami, but this could be difficult to piece together with Mike McDaniel in the mix.
While replacing Mike McCarthy in Dallas would, frankly, make sense, replacing McDaniel would take some more massaging, particularly with Brian Flores currently suing the NFL. While that shouldn't influence any decisions, the Dolphins signed McDaniel. He deserves a chance with the Dolphins without people plotting him out of town.
Los Angeles Chargers This is a difficult one. Much like McDaniel, Brandon Staley deserves his shot in L.A. He became known last year for his aggressiveness on fourth-down calls, and he proved to be a strong coach in his own right.
The rope for the Chargers, however, is short. They have a franchise quarterback, and they need to become regular playoff competitors.
If the Chargers miss the postseason again this year, Staley could be getting a little hot around the collar. While he should get an opportunity to thrive, especially in a hyper-competitive division, there will continue to be a lot of uncomfortable shuffling in L.A.
What could a Sean Payton trade look like? All of this, of course, is moot without a trade in place -- and compensation would have to be high.
The Saints traded away their 2023 first-round pick and their 2024 second-round pick to the Eagles to get the 16th and 19th picks this season. With that in mind, it would likely have to start with a future first rounder.
There may be another pick in place along with some cash compensation. Payton is under contract for three more years with New Orleans, so the price would have to be steep. While that's just speculation, don't expect Mickey Loomis to just let Payton walk.
