Cardinals owner reveals why team passed on Sean Payton

Feb 6, 2023; Englewood, CO, USA; Denver Broncos Head Coach Sean Payton speaks at the UCHealth Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Sean Payton was undoubtedly the most high-profile name on the coaching market this offseason, and most teams at least looked into hiring him. For the Arizona Cardinals, however, one issue proved too much to overcome.

In an appearance on Arizona Sports 98.7 Thursday, Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill said the New Orleans Saints’ compensatory demands were too much for the team to pay, which is why they moved on from Payton.

“We spent a lot of time. The issues around coach Payton had nothing to do with the money, the compensation we would be paying him,” Bidwill said, via Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk. “It was all the compensation, the draft compensation to the Saints. We just weren’t willing to go with what the Saints wanted us to give up. It would have been too costly to the team for us to rebuild that roster.”

The Denver Broncos ended up hiring Payton, trading the No. 29 pick in the 2023 draft and a 2024 third-round selection to the Saints to get him. It is unclear what the Cardinals would have had to give up, but a lack of first-round picks may have been an issue. The Cardinals pick No. 3 this season, which they were never going to give up for a coach, and may not have wanted to risk trading a future first in case Payton failed to engineer an immediate turnaround.

The Cardinals wound up hiring former Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon instead. It may well work out for them depending on how valuable their future picks prove to be.