It sounds like Sean Payton is already preparing for a potential NFL return. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that the former Saints head coach is starting to put together his potential staff, with Vic Fangio a strong possibility to be defensive coordinator.
[RELATED: Sean Payton Discusses Potential NFL Return]
Payton has been working as a television analyst since he stepped away from his Saints head coaching gig at the end of the 2021 campaign. Once the 2022 campaign ends, Payton is expected to attract interest from between five and seven organizations, sources told Schefter.
As Schefter notes, Fangio’s services are expected to be even more in demand that Payton’s, “[b]ut in an ideal world, Payton and Fangio would like to join forces in 2023, and provide a team with the offensive and defensive mindsets they would need to form a top coaching duo.” Fangio went 19-30 in three seasons as Denver’s head coach before getting canned at the end of the 2021 campaign. The 64-year-old previously served as defensive coordinator with the Bears, 49ers, Texans, Colts and Panthers, and he’s served as a defensive consultant in Philly this season.
Following the 2021 season, Payton announced that he’d be stepping down as New Orleans’ head coach. Payton ultimately logged 15 seasons with the Saints, going 152-89 and earning nine playoff appearances.
“I really enjoy the current job I have,” Payton said earlier this year. “But I think relative to coaching, though, I know that I want to coach again and it’s not really been a secret. But I wanna find the right spot. And as Tom alluded to, you know, it’s still about the people. Because when it’s all done and it’s quiet, I don’t think it’s the money or the crowd cheers or the trophies or any of that other stuff. I think it’s about the journey with the people that you really enjoy. . . . So we’ll kind of see what happens. But sooner than later though, in fairness to that question. I think that, you know, if not this year, hopefully next year.”
Of course, as Schefter points out, any team that’s interested in Payton would have to pay up for his services. This sentiment doesn’t only apply to a future contract; rather, a suitor would have to send compensation to New Orleans since Payton still has two years remaining on his Saints contract. Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.football polled several former and current GMs to get an understanding of potential compensation. Many executives believes New Orleans would be able to get a first-round pick for the coach, but they doubt the Saints will be able to get the same haul the Raiders got for Jon Gruden back in the day (two firsts, two seconds). Either way, suitors will have to reach out to the Saints before they reach out to Payton, meaning there’s a good chance GM Mickey Loomis will require an agreement on compensation before granting an interview.
They’ll head back to NOLA, sign Brady and Gronk, Loomis will trade every future #1 from 24-29, and the Saints will sign or trade for top talent like Steve Cohen, win the Super Bowl, and then set another record with 20 seasons of under 5 wins in a season…
Houston or Arizona is my guess.
Houston could be interesting, given how weak the division is. For that reason, I would not in the slightest be surprised by Indianapolis, especially if Ballard stays in power. Despite this season’s disappointments, he still has a good reputation as G.M., and Payton has experience working in tandem with an established G.M to support his philosophy. Likewise, Ballard worked with a distinctive offensive coach in Reich who had large levels of control over the scheme. The Colts have also had pretty independent defensive coordinators in the past, which is what Fangio would be. Would Irsay turn off Payton, or would the chance to compete in a weak division that just fired its longest tenured G.M. be more attractive?
That would be a dangerous combo. Payton gets the headlines but Fangio, outside of being a HC, has been an excellent DC. In Chicago he turned that defense completely around and they made the playoffs in spite of the Three Stooges, Pace, Nagy and Trubisky.
Come to Baltimore!
Arizona??
“But I wanna find the right spot”.
Meaning that he’ll only consider teams with a legitimate chance of winning a championship. Does that sound like the Cardinals?
Of course. That offence SHOULD be one of the best in the league. Kyler gets lots of flack, but he is talented, and D-Hop, Marquise, Moore, Ertz and Conner is great.
That D though needs a lot of work, and their draft picks have not been that great lately…
Should also mention that they’d have to clean up that front office.
Seems like a hot mess here in Phoenix …has always been a destination for former great players just beyond their prime (e.g., Watt)
Payton is a cheater and adds nothing on TV. Perfect fit for NFL.
It’s going to be the chargers. Different conference. I find it weird the whole compensation thing for a coach.
So if you don’t get the right compensation don’t the saints still have to pay him millions of dollars to do nothing ? The saints have a coach why should they care ? Are they going to fire Dennis Allen and just let Payton back ?
Yes. The Saints would absolutely love to have Payton back. I can only see 3 scenarios for Payton next year. Saints, Cowboys, or Chargers.
Saints aren’t paying Payton anything. He left with a few years left on his contract so the Saints own his rights.
I get that but what if he unretires? Don’t they have to pay him
I think it’s going to be the Chargers, too. I can’t see a scenario where N.O. hands him to an NFC team. The Chargers fit what he wants. It all just adds up.
If I had to pick a darkhorse though, maybe the Jets. I’m not convinced they wouldn’t entertain the idea of a change at HC in order to help lure a QB to NY.
Non football issue but maybe the income tax situation in CA factors into his decision.
49ers! Demeco Ryan is leaving, so Vic can fit in there. And Tom Brady or Aaron Rodgers would rather come to the 9ers with Sean Payton in charge, not Shanahan, Mr run first.
Most overrated HC in football
Urban Meyer wants to wish you a Merry Christmas.
He’s not overrated, he just sucks.
I guess this means that fangio won’t be an option for the packers
Unfortunately for Green Bay. Fangio got, as I have said in the past, a bad deal in Denver. I think that he overachieved immensely with that defense, especially considering the players that developed from no-names into starters. The Scangarello and Shurmur hires were mistakes that he got too married to, but if Denver planned to lure in an experienced QB anyway, a veteran defensive coach and a semi-independent offensive QB-coordinator tandem could have been very effective.
I respect greatly what Evero has done, and think that he should be given the opportunity to succeed Hackett, but that defensive tradition was begun by Fangio. I do think that the experience made him a better coach, and combined with Payton, they should be able to have their pick of openings in the league.
Chargers seem like the only team that is a good coaching staff away from being a force to reckon with. All other teams that will need a coach are a disaster.
Cowboys will always want him… it just never seems to line up.
Payton is not going to Dallas where media whore Jerra has to be in the spot light 24/7. He has ran off the 2 beat coaches he had in JJ and Parcells. Anyone with any dignity wouldn’t go there. He will only be left with the weak minded puppets. Don’t care wha the would pay them a year. NOT HAPPENING
Don’t sleep on Tampa Bay (good roster), Washington (new owner making a splash) or Green Bay (Rodgers) in addition to the frontrunners like Dallas, Houston, Nola, Carolina, and the Chargers