Sean Payton still isn’t a head coach, and the New Orleans Saints might have a lot to do with it.
Saints general manager Mickey Loomis is asking for two first-round draft picks in exchange for Sean Payton, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. Payton had reportedly told teams that it would only take one first-round pick in order to hire him.
The Saints still own Payton’s rights because his contract ran through the 2024 season when he stepped down as the team’s head coach a year ago. It appears that New Orleans’ asking price could prevent a team from hiring Payton to fill its head-coaching vacancy.
Hiring Payton will be a costly proposition for any team. In addition to giving the Saints compensation, Payton’s new team would likely have to pay the head coach at least $20 million per season.
With five teams needing a head coach after the conclusion of the regular season, Payton was the league’s most sought-after candidate.The Denver Broncos, Houston Texans and Carolina Panthers had all reportedly been willing to send the Saints one first-round pick as compensation for Payton.
The former Saints coach has been linked to almost every opening. The Panthers’ vacancy no longer exists after the team hired former Indianapolis Colts head coach Frank Reich to fill the position in Carolina.
There have been rumors that the Broncos’ pursuit of Payton has fallen apart because of an issue with part of Denver’s new ownership group. San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans is gaining steam to potentially become the Texans’ next head coach.
The Arizona Cardinals are still considering Payton in their head-coaching search. Payton wasn’t among 14 coaches who interviewed with the Colts.
Payton compiled a 152-89 record as the Saints coach with seven NFC South titles and one Super Bowl championship.
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