Report: 1 team would do almost anything to hire Sean Payton

Aug 9, 2019; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton in the second half against the Minnesota Vikings at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports

Sean Payton is the hottest head coach candidate available this offseason, and several teams are jostling to hire him. However, one team may be more eager than others to win him over.

Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper is desperate to hire Payton and would give the coach “just about anything he wants,” according to Mark Maske of the Washington Post. However, there are doubts that the Panthers are Payton’s first choice, which may render Tepper’s willingness irrelevant.

Panthers owner David Tepper would give Sean Payton "just about anything he wants" to be the team's coach, one source says. It's not clear, however, how enthusiastic Payton is at this point about the opportunity in Carolina.

— MarkMaske (@MarkMaske) January 18, 2023

Reports have indicated that there is definitely one team Payton is strongly interested in, and possibly even a couple more ahead of Carolina. The former New Orleans Saints coach is said to value strong ownership and a good quarterback, and the Panthers’ unsettled long-term quarterback situation means they cannot offer him the latter.

Tepper’s eagerness might be a bit of a surprise considering how he wound up feeling about the last coach he hired. Perhaps he feels better about Payton given the ex-Saints coach’s track record, but he certainly sounds eager to make a splash.