Sean Payton may only be out of the NFL for one season, but the New Orleans Saints would have to trade away his rights first.
It seems as though Sean Payton’s NFL coaching retirement may have only been to get out of a bad situation with the New Orleans Saints.
15 years is a long time anywhere, but things may have run their course for Payton in New Orleans. The front office kicked the financial can down the road as far and for as long as it could. Eventually, the rent was due. The Saints made financial moves to compromise their future years ago … and here we are. Perhaps trading away Payton’s rights is a way to help recoup some precious capital?
Should Payton not return to the Saints in 2023, here are three teams that do make a ton of sense.
Sean Payton NFL rumors: 3 teams that make sense besides New Orleans Saints
Arizona Cardinals have Kyler Murray and Michael Bidwill as huge assets for them
Admittedly, it is going to cost a premium for any NFC team to trade for Payton’s right in-conference. Conversely, it may be too punitive for New Orleans to part ways with the greatest head coach in franchise history like this. If he went to an NFC team and dominated, it would look especially terrible for what is left of the Saints. But we cannot rule out the Arizona Cardinals here.
Of all the potential jobs opening up in the NFC, this one makes the most sense for both parties. Arizona is not going anywhere with Kliff Kingsbury as their head coach. The Cardinals probably parting ways with longtime general manager Steve Keim at the end of the season. Although they may promote his successor from within, the opportunity to bring Payton into the fold is too good.
While the front office may be a mess to some degree, Arizona has a strong owner in Michael Bidwill, one who has been committed to winning for two decades now. Arizona may be tied at the hip to the mercurial talent that is Kyler Murray, but keep in mind that Payton had his best success with a diminutive quarterback throwing dimes from the pocket in Drew Brees. There is a fit here.
Arizona could look to replace Kingsbury with Byron Leftwich, but Payton is the proven commodity.
Los Angeles Chargers are loaded talent-wise, but have an incredibly cheap owner
Everybody and their brother has tied Payton to the Los Angeles Chargers ever since he left the Saints behind and linked up with FOX as an in-studio analyst. The Bolts are so loaded from a talent perspective. This is because they have one of the best general managers in football in Tom Telesco. Unfortunately, Brandon Staley is not a great head coach. So this is the dream team, right?
Not so fast! The Chargers may have the best uniforms in football, a loaded roster, a fantastic general manager and an incredible, young quarterbacking talent in Justin Herbert. However, they have a notoriously cheap owner in Dean Spanos. Rather than figure out a way to finance a stadium in San Diego, Spanos agreed to ditch a loyal fanbase in the hopes of being the Rams’ little brother.
You may not think this matters, but it absolutely does in the Chargers’ chase to land Payton. Keep in mind what coaching tree he stems from. Payton is a noted Bill Parcells disciple, a man who famously said, “If they want you to cook the dinner, at least they ought to let you shop for some of the groceries.” The Chargers have been synonymous with being cheap for years. Will they change?
If the Bolts want Payton, The Spanoses will need to pony up some cash and stop being so frugal.
What if I told you the Houston Texans might actually be the best landing spot?
The Chargers infamously came in second place to landing Tom Brady in his high-profile free agency. So would it shock you if they came up a few dollars short in trying to pry Payton away from New Orleans? If you try to remove personal biases from the equation, the Houston Texans may actually be the best landing spot for Payton long-term. Here is why he should consider them.
In the wake of the Deshaun Watson mess, Houston is in dire need of a reboot. They are the worst team in the league, and it would not be shocking if the Texans go back-to-back one-and-dones at head coach. It is nothing that Lovie Smith or David Culley did wrong, but rather that they had no chance, to be honest. By shocking the NFL world in a trade with the Saints, the Texans can win big.
Houston may not have to give up the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft to acquire Payton’s rights from the Saints. They might be able to trade for him by giving them the Cleveland Browns’ pick from the Watson trade. Future firsts beyond 2023, why not? This is all about getting Payton and pairing him with a rookie quarterback of his choosing, whether that is Bryce Young or C.J. Stroud.
In the short-term, Houston is a painful option, but by 2025, this team could be a wagon in the AFC.