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On Tuesday, New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton stepped down from the only head coaching job that he has ever known. Payton also left the Saints in a huge mess when it comes to the salary cap, their quarterback situation, and their late start onto the NFL head coaching carousel. None of that is particularly Payton's fault, as the general manager is in charge of picking the players. That, combined with the Super Bowl that Payton brought to New Orleans in 2011, is enough to keep him in the good graces of Saints fans…for now.
Many people, Payton included, have already said that this could just be a one or two-year sabbatical and not a full-blown retirement. So, where would Payton have interest in ending up? The recently re-married Bill Parcells disciple will surely be asking his mentor's opinions on his next and most likely final stop in the NFL. Here are three destinations that could come highly recommended by “The Big Tuna.”
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Three best destinations for Sean Payton
3. Buffalo Bills
Hear me out here. Yes, the Bills have made the playoffs in three straight seasons and they just took the AFC East division for the first time in a couple of decades. Yes, they have a very good coach in Sean McDermott. But, if they cannot get past the Kansas City Chiefs for a fourth-straight year in the playoffs, it could be time to find a coach that can get them over the “hump.” No better coach than Payton, who was able to bring the Saints their first-ever Super Bowl title after years of ineptitude. A pairing of Payton's masterful offensive mind and Josh Allen's on-field talent would be a match made in football heaven. The Bills are also set to lose their offensive coordinator Brian Daboll in one of the next two hiring cycles.
Longest tenured HCs around the NFL with Sean Payton leaving:
Bill Belichick, NE: 22 years
Mike Tomlin, PIT: 15 years
John Harbaugh, BAL: 14 years
Pete Carroll, SEA: 12 years
Andy Reid, KC: 9 years
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McDermott, McVay, Shanahan: 5 years— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) January 25, 2022
2. New York Jets
The second-best option for Payton would be to join the New York Jets. This is just due to a process of elimination as Payton would be a perfect fit for the New York Giants. But, with them hiring a head coach in the coming weeks. it means that the timing will probably not be right to hire Payton. If their next head coach does not work out, they won't likely come to that conclusion until the end of the 2024 season, when Payton would be off the market. It could also help him seamlessly transition into the announcing booth from his coaching days if that is what he is truly interested in doing once his playing days are over. His new wife is a native of West Virginia, giving Payton a little more motivation to be in the northeast.
Longest tenured HCs around the NFL with Sean Payton leaving:
Bill Belichick, NE: 22 years
Mike Tomlin, PIT: 15 years
John Harbaugh, BAL: 14 years
Pete Carroll, SEA: 12 years
Andy Reid, KC: 9 years
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McDermott, McVay, Shanahan: 5 years— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) January 25, 2022
1. Dallas Cowboys
This one is too good to be true. The Cowboys are heading into a season in which head coach Mike McCarthy must advance his team past the divisional round or risk losing his job to the court of public opinion. Whether it is fair on not, it is truly what is going to happen if the Cowboys are yet again eliminated early or fail to make the playoffs. If Payton wants this job, this is the perfect timing for his “retirement” to take place. Dallas owner Jerry Jones has always gotten his man, and if he is willing to hand over a little bit of control of the team (doubtful), then the Cowboys will be the easy choice as Payton's next choice. For as many bad things as there are to say about the Cowboys, there are just as many good things that they bring to the table as an organization. They are committed to winning as much as any team in the league, have top-five facilities, and also a top-five stadium.
