Former New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton reportedly has a list of what he's looking for if he returns to coaching, and a few teams already stand out.
At least that's what one "close associate" to Payton told Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald.
The unnamed source told Jackson that in his next stop, Payton is targeting a situation that will provide him with "warm weather, a roster good enough to compete and most importantly, control over personnel decisions." The associate went on to say that the Miami Dolphins would interest Payton, and he believes that the Dallas Cowboys and Los Angeles Chargers also could as well.
Payton doesn't have a history with the Chargers, and frankly, it's hard to imagine them dismissing Brandon Staley after the 2022 season. Clearly, any situation with Justin Herbert would be intriguing to a potential head coach, but it's hard to see that job coming open.
Without the 2022 season having been played, you can only be so accurate in assessing what jobs will and won't be open next offseason. But while Mike McCarthy will coach the Cowboys in 2022 and Mike McDaniel will do the same for the Dolphins, both franchises have a history of being interested in Payton.
In Mike Florio's book "Playmakers," the Pro Football Talk creator reported on how the Cowboys made a play for Payton after the 2018 season. The Saints were actually prepared to let Payton leave for the job, but general manager Mickey Loomis changed course after it became clear that the Pelicans were going to have to trade Anthony Davis. Loomis -- also the executive vice president of basketball operations for the Pelicans at that time -- didn't want his reputation to become the guy who traded away both Davis and Payton in a matter of months. So Payton stayed put in New Orleans, and the Cowboys kept Jason Garrett for another season.
Payton has a history in Dallas, as he spent three years there on the staff of Hall of Famer Bill Parcells from 2003 to 2005. That turned out to be the final audition for Payton before he was hired as the head coach of the Saints in 2006.
While Payton has never worked for the Dolphins, Florio and Chris Simms have been among those to report on the idea that Miami wanted to pair Payton and Tom Brady together early this offseason. Payton, of course, would have been the head coach. Brady would have bought a minority stake in the Dolphins -- something he hasn't denied was a consideration -- and eventually his playing rights would have been traded to South Beach. Ultimately, the Dolphins went in another direction after Brian Flores filed his lawsuit against the team and NFL.
Payton, 58, is going to work as a studio analyst for FOX in 2022, after stepping down as the head coach of the Saints in late January. From the sounds of things, it may just be a one-year detour for one of the greatest offensive minds in NFL history.
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