Sean Payton Reveals If He'll Coach in the NFL Again Following Saints Exit

Sean Payton resigned as the head coach of the New Orleans Saints at the end of the 2021 season. The 58-year-old is now getting ready to be part of the NFL in a different way as he will be a studio analyst for Fox. But it looks like his gig with Fox won't be something he will do for a very long time based on the comments he made to USA Today about possibly coaching in the NFL again. 

"Ultimately, do I think I'll get back in? Sure," Payton said. "There's no way to predict who that club might be. Usually, there are about six openings every year. If there's a right fit somewhere, that ultimately will depend on several factors." Payton's comments come following a report from the Miami Herald that revealed he was eyeing three teams for his potential NFL return — the Dallas Cowboys, Miami Dolphins and Los Angeles Chargers. 

Payton to the Dolphins makes sense as the team was reportedly ready to pay him $100 million to be the next head coach before hiring Mike McDaniel. The reported plan was Payton to be the Dolphins' head coach and Tom Brady to be the team's quarterback and part owner. When it comes to the Cowboys, Payton has ties with the team as he was the assistant head coach and quarterbacks coach for Dallas before joining the Saints in 2006. And while Payton doesn't have direct ties with the Chargers, he probably wouldn't mind living with Los Angeles and working with quarterback Justin Herbert. 

One thing to note about Payton is he's under contract with the Saints through 2024, meaning if he does return to coaching, a tram would have to acquire the rights from New Orleans, who hired Dennis Allen as its head coach. Payton was with the Saints for 15 seasons and posted a 152-89 regular season record. In his 15 seasons with the Saints, Payton led the team to the playoffs nine times and won the Super Bowl during the 2009 season. He also appeared in three NFC Championship games and led the Saints to seven NFC South Championships. Along with being a Super Bowl champion, Payton was named AP Coach of the Year in 2006.