Sean Payton called letting one of his former defensive players get away the biggest mistake of his time as head coach of the New Orleans Saints.
Payton has made a lot of correct decisions during his 12 seasons in New Orleans. On Sunday, he shared one that he wasn’t particularly proud of.
The Saints improved to 9-1 on the season thanks to a 48-7 dismantling of the reigning Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles. Among the players on the Eagles is Malcolm Jenkins, who began his career with the Saints and spent five seasons with the franchise.
When Jenkins became an unrestricted free agent in 2014, he did not receive a contract offer from New Orleans. He ultimately signed with the Eagles. Jenkins may still have some ill will towards Payton over that decision, because he flipped off the coach during Sunday’s game.
After the contest, Payton said the two were on good terms and called letting Jenkins go the biggest mistake of his tenure with the Saints.
Payton admitted after the game letting Malcolm Jenkins go was the biggest mistake they made in the 13 years he's been there. #Saints
— Garland Gillen (@garlandgillen) November 19, 2018
Jenkins was a member of the Saints’ Super Bowl XLIV team. Since leaving New Orleans, he has gone on to win one more Super Bowl and earn two Pro Bowl selections with Philadelphia.
Coaches and organizations face tough decisions when it comes to which players to keep and which to let go. Jenkins is clearly one Payton wishes he could have kept around.
