The Sean Payton rumors are picking up more steam, and we got a little bit more insight from FOX’s Jay Glazer on Monday afternoon. In an interview on GBag Nation on Dallas’ 105.3 The Fan with Gavin Dawson, Jeff Cavanaugh, and Bryan Broaddus, Glazer spoke a bit about what he knows regarding the Saints head coach, which is that he’s considering retirement.
“Sean (Payton) changes his mind every two seconds. We talk about it a lot. It’s why I haven’t reported anything because he changes his mind like every two minutes,” Glazer said.
“But that’s also why I said two weeks ago on FOX NFL Sunday during the coaching carousel was that there could be a coach or two step away just because of these last two years of COVID, it’s taken its toll on people.”
Glazer said that Payton keeps going back and forth, that he was in Cabo the last couple of weeks, and that he has a meeting with owner Gayle Benson again in the early part of the week.
Payton’s Legacy in New Orleans
Place Among NFL Coaches
Jan 2, 2022; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton claps during pregame warm ups before their game against the Carolina Panthers at the Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports
Challenging Season
Nov 14, 2021; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton after a call by the officials during the second half against the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
Payton’s Players
Jul 30, 2021; Metairie, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton looks on during a New Orleans Saints training camp session at the New Orleans Saints Training Facility. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports
Broadcast Booth
Oct 6, 2019; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton stands during the National Anthem with team owner Gayle Benson (middle left) and team president Dennis Lauscha (middle right) before a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports
Sean Payton is under contract through 2026, and a team would have to trade for him. However, that doesn’t seem like it’s on the table, according to Glazer. Benson was asked earlier about his future, to which she said that she didn’t know and that we’ll find out soon enough. Payton was also at the team facility on Monday afternoon, according to NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill.
Glazer added, “I only like to report things I know, for a fact, and he may change his mind five times per conversation.”
So, this seems like it’s a fluid situation with a lot of intrigue. Payton certainly had to overcome a lot last season coaching. The NFL’s COVID protocols were strenuous enough, and then having to deal with an incredible amount of different starters during the season was certainly difficult.
The Senior Bowl is next week, and we would assume Payton would be there alongside Mickey Loomis and Jeff Ireland at minimum. However, this week will tell us everything we need to know and answer a lot of questions regarding the team’s future. Dennis Allen could be a replacement for Payton, but they’d certainly have to interview and figure out which direction to go.
