Sean Payton hints at coming to decision soon regarding his NFL future
The NFL world has been patiently waiting as the Sean Payton story unfolds during the 2023 offseason. He seemingly retired spontaneously prior to the start of the 2022 season, leaving his position as head coach of the New Orleans Saints. Just one year later, many reports indicate that he's already looking to make his return to the league.
One major change to Payton's status ahead of the 2023 NFL season is that he'll unlikely return with the Saints.
What he will do this upcoming season has mostly been speculation at this point, as he's remained relatively vague about his intentions. It seems many of the questions surrounding his future may be answered soon in the coming weeks. Sean Payton gave this important update during the FOX Sports pregame show on Sunday afternoon:
"It's been a busy week. A great week. We got a chance to meet with a lot of great owners and a lot of outstanding organizations that are obviously looking for a reboot. I think with the way the coaching hiring process has changed this year, we're seeing it play out a little longer for these clubs."
"I think there's more pressure on everyone who's covering it, and I think it's a good thing because they're allowing teams to get to the right candidates. I think in the next week we're going to know a lot more."
Payton was then asked directly if the door was still open for him to make a head coaching return ahead of the 2023 NFL season, to which he responded:
"Yeah, I think there's a handful of things that are still taking place for these coaches and myself."
"What are we doing here? Coach Payton, 'sup?'" - @PSchrags
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While he didn't say it directly, it appears Sean Payton may be ready to make a decision about his future in the coming days.
Potential landing spots for Sean Payton
There are currently four head coaching vacancies in the NFL. The Indianapolis Colts, Houston Texans, Arizona Cardinals, and Denver Broncos have all yet to hire a new coach for the upcoming season. All have been linked to being interested in Sean Payton.
Payton is also rumored to be interested in the Dallas Cowboys and Los Angeles Chargers, though neither team has fired their head coach.
The veteran coach remains under contract with the New Orleans Saints until two years from now at the conclusion of the 2024-25 NFL season. This means that any team that wants to acquire him will need to make a trade with the Saints. It was recently reported that they are looking for two first-round draft picks in exchange for Payton.