If an ominous-sounding quote is delivered with a light-hearted laugh, does it still seem that ominous?
That's the current state of things for the Saints and head coach Sean Payton, with team owner Gayle Benson confirming that the team remains unclear on its longtime coach's plans heading into next season, which was first reported over the weekend.
"Sean, we don't know," Benson told reporters with a laugh when asked about Payton's immediate future. "You know, who knows? We’ll find out soon enough, I guess. I don’t think any of us know. But he’ll let us know soon enough.”
It was heavy information, but with an important caveat: Benson's remarks didn't sound like they came from someone particularly concerned to find out Payton's specific plans while he is away on vacation following the end of the season. The coach hasn't indicated intentions to move on, but the silence has led to swirling rumors that his tenure in New Orleans could be coming to an end. But if that's the case, there are limited paths to take. Payton is under contract for three more seasons and is due in the range of $45 million if he went the route of a short-term retirement, not unlike the path taken by current Bucs coach Bruce Arians. It was also reported over the weekend that Fox Sports is eying Payton as a potential successor to Troy Aikman should the longtime broadcaster jump networks. If he spends a season out of the NFL, Payton could then return to coaching down the road where he chooses.
But could Payton actually be coaching a different NFL team in 2022? Yes, but not without strings attached, with many preemptively attaching those strings to the Dallas Cowboys and outspoken owner/GM Jerry Jones. Any team that wanted Payton in 2022 would have to part with assets in a trade to make it happen. Such a trade is uncommon in the NFL, but not unheard of. Both Jon Gruden (Raiders to Bucs) and Bill Belichick (Jets to Patriots) were both traded before going on to win a Super Bowl, and the return included first-round picks in both instances.
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Should the Cowboys push for a trade, it'd also likely mean the firing of Mike McCarthy, who led the Cowboys to an NFC East title but saw its playoff hopes extinguished on a poorly conceived QB sneak decision (and execution) that robbed Dallas of a potential shot at a last-second win over the 49ers.
But in the end: The news remains that there is no news. And as Benson stated in a not-so-ominous-sounding fashion, the head coach will make his intentions clear soon enough, and the team will go from there.
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