Former New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton (still weird to type) took part in a press conference Tuesday afternoon to officially announced that he has resigned after 16 super successful seasons.
The Super Bowl-winning coach shocked the masses by announcing that he has decided to leave coaching and pursue other career paths.
Some have focused on the possibility that Payton, 58, will turn to the broadcast booth with either FOX or Amazon. It’s been a focal point since the Saints finished up shop on a 9-8 season, missing the playoffs for the first time since 2016.
In talking to the media, Payton stopped well short of announcing his retirement from coaching. In fact, he didn’t even close the door on coaching another team next season.
“That might be coaching again at some point. I don’t think it’s this year, maybe in the future. That’s not where my heart is right now,” Sean Payton said about a future in football.
While it seems clear Payton is not looking to man an NFL sideline for the 2022 season, he left the door wide open on potentially returning at some point in the near future.
Related: New Orleans Saints head coach candidates to replace Sean Payton
Is Sean Payton done as an NFL head coach?
It must be noted that Payton still has three more years remaining on his current deal with the Saints. Any team looking to add him to the mix in the near future would likely have to work out a trade — leading to compensation being sent the Saints’ way.
Given his success as a coach for the Saints, this likely wouldn’t be too much of a problem. Details would have to be worked out between the two sides.
- Sean Payton coaching record: 152-89, nine playoff appearances, one Super Bowl win
As of right now, the most-attractive head coach opening would have to be the Las Vegas Raiders. Outside of the Saints, there’s eight other vacancies around the NFL world right now.
It seems more likely that Payton will turn to the broadcast booth for the next year or two before potentially deciding to return to the NFL.
He’s continually been linked to the Dallas Cowboys’ coaching job. Despite some show of support for current head coach Mike McCarthy, it’s not known whether he’ll be long for the job in Big D. Perhaps, owner Jerry Jones and Co. give him one more season to prove his worth after an ugly exit in the NFC Wild Card Playoffs earlier this month. At that point, Payton would become an obvious option for Dallas.
At the very least, it seems like Payton’s career as an NFL head coach is not 100% over after 16 seasons manning the sideline in the Bayou.