Sean Payton had a very successful run as head coach of the New Orleans Saints from 2006-2021 before stepping down from the position. While Payton has remained out of the league in 2022, almost everyone is anticipating that he will make a return sooner than later.
Given his resume, Payton can essentially have the pick of the litter when it comes to taking his next job. He has one Super Bowl ring to his name, which was won during the 2009 season over the Indianapolis Colts. That season was one of four times that the Saints won at least 13 games in the regular season under Payton and one of the nine double-digit win campaigns he oversaw.
There are plenty of franchises that would love to have him manning their sideline, but would the feeling be mutual? Payton seemingly has an exact idea of the kind of job that he is looking for, as he reportedly already has an idea of the coaches he would want to put around him.
According to NFL Rumors, Sean Payton wants to have Vic Fangio as his defensive coordinator, which would likely rule out the Denver Broncos, who fired Fangio following the 2021 season after three years as their head coach. Instead, the Arizona Cardinals, Dallas Cowboys and Los Angeles Chargers were listed as his preferred jobs.
We could go another year without seeing Payton on the sidelines as none of those jobs currently have a head coaching position open. Arizona could be the closest as Kliff Kingsbury is likely on one of the hottest seats in the NFL after the Cardinals face-planted this season.
Mike McCarthy’s job looked to be in peril coming into the season, but the Cowboys were able to overcome Dak Prescott’s injury in Week 1 and locked up a playoff spot. They have a chance to win the NFC East should they defeat the Washington Commanders and the New York Giants beat the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 18.
The Chargers are heading to the postseason for the first time in four years in the second season with Brandon Staley at the helm. There is almost zero percent chance that he is fired after increasing the team’s victories each of his seasons as head coach.
Landing the perfect job should be Sean Payton’s No. 1 goal. Based on that list, he wants to join a team that has the makings of a playoff contender which he could put the finishing touches on. Rebuilding jobs such as the Carolina Panthers and possibly Indianapolis Colts don’t seem to be on his radar.
