The Saints are seemingly heading for a rebuilding phase, and their Super Bowl-winning head coach might not want to stick around to be a part of it. But if another team wants to pry Sean Payton away from New Orleans, that team will likely have to pay.
According to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com, the Saints are not willing to grant Payton his outright release but would part ways with him “under the right set of circumstances.” Payton has two years remaining on his contract, and the Saints would likely be looking for draft-pick compensation if he went to another NFL team.
Payton has not, at this point, expressed a desire to leave New Orleans. But if the Saints decide that nearly $20 million is far too much to pay a 37-year-old Drew Brees and decide to move on from the quarterback this offseason, Payton could change his mind.
La Canfora reports that the Saints will not trade Payton somewhere that he does not want to coach, and any team that acquired him would almost certainly want Payton to sign an extension.
We already know that multiple NFL teams are interested in Payton, though the college rumors have faded since this high-profile job opening was filled.
Payton’s future will likely depend on how the Saints finish. If they go on a bit of a run, they might decide to keep the gang together for one more season.
