NFL Rumors: NFL insider hints Sean Payton could be next Chicago Bears head coach
Head coach Sean Payton is experiencing a season unlike he has in the past with the New Orleans Saints. The Saints have now lost five straight after Thursday night's loss to the Dallas Cowboys at home.
The Chicago Bears have been rumored to part ways with head coach Matt Nagy. There were even rumors that Nagy was going to be fired after the Thanksgiving day matchup against the Detroit Lions. But Nagy seems to have held on to the job for, at least, the rest of the season.
Where it stands with Matt Nagy before today's game vs. Detroit: George McCaskey and Ted Phillips both told him this week's report was a "complete lie", per sources. Nagy has not been told by anyone he's being fired. McCaskey spoke to team Weds, and told players what he told Nagy.
Sean Payton has contemplated a departure from the New Orleans Saints in the past. In 2019, he did re-sign with the team on a five-year contract extension. If he were to make the decision to leave, would the Chicago Bears be a team where he would want to coach?
Sean Payton's connection with Chicago
Some may believe that Sean Payton leaving the New Orleans Saints and coaching the Chicago Bears would be a head scratcher, but it makes sense. Sean Payton is an Illinois native, born and raised in Naperville, Illinois, and he attended Eastern Illinois University, where he played quarterback.
In 1987, an undrafted Sean Payton actually played for the "Spare Bears," the Chicago Bears team that was a compilation of replacement players during the NFL's strike.
Payton, who is seen as an offensive play-calling genius, could do wonders with a young quarterback of Justin Fields' talent. Drew Brees saw a complete turnaround in his career when he began playing with the New Orleans Saints and Sean Payton. The fact that Payton's offense with the Saints is currently struggling could be a deciding factor for Payton to leave a team he has been with for over a decade.
The Saints also don't have a solid option at quarterback at this point in the season. Jameis Winston was named the starting quarterback to start the season but a torn ACL cut his season short. Trevor Siemian then replaced him to no avail and utility quarterback Taysom Hill struggled against the Cowboys.
It's never been worse than this: the Saints hit rock bottom in their first 5-game losing streak of the Sean Payton era saintswire.usatoday.com/2021/12/02/sai…
Sean Payton and the Saints have been to the playoffs nine times since 2006, and have won a Super Bowl.
The question is whether a trade of Payton between the New Orleans Saints and Chicago Bears could actually come to fruition. With Sean Payton under contract until 2026, there may need to be a lot of work done in order to get Payton back home to Illinois.
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