The Indianapolis Colts announced this weekend that they are bringing Chuck Pagano back as their head coach next season, but he clearly wasn’t their top choice.
Not only did Indianapolis make a run at Jon Gruden, but they also had talks with the New Orleans Saints about Sean Payton for the second straight season.
CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora reports that the two teams talked about a Payton trade for the second straight year. Talks apparently broke down over draft pick compensation. La Canfora believes the Saints were seeking a pick in the top two rounds for Payton.
The Colts aren’t the only team that was trying to get Payton. Multiple reports said the Rams were seeking a trade for the longtime Saints coach, though nothing developed there. The Los Angeles franchise ended up hiring 30-year-old Sean McVay instead.
Meanwhile, Payton’s status in New Orleans seems to be solidified. The Saints overhauled their coaching staff, getting rid of longtime assistant Joe Vitt among a handful of other coaches. That was indicative that Payton would be staying.
