Sean Payton reportedly close to landing TV gig

Aug 23, 2021; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton looks on during the second half against Jacksonville Jaguars at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

Sean Payton will not be coaching in the NFL in 2022, and it sounds like he has decided what he will be doing instead.

Payton is closing in on a deal to become a studio analyst for FOX, according to Andrew Marchand of the New York Post. Payton would appear on FOX’s Sunday morning show, “FOX NFL Kickoff,” and would contribute in some way to the “FOX NFL Sunday” pregame show.

Payton never discussed a game analyst role with FOX. While there remains an expectation that he will eventually return to coaching, Marchand says the FOX gig could be a test run to see if Payton has a knack for broadcasting and wants to continue to do so. If he does, he could be FOX’s long-term replacement for 78-year-old Jimmy Johnson.

The former New Orleans Saints coach hinted recently that something like this was in the works. While he won’t necessarily have a huge role at FOX, it sounds like viewers will be seeing plenty of him over the course of the NFL season.