Sean Payton trending toward surprising decision?
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 has spoken with multiple teams about head coach jobs, and he does not appear to be in a rush to make a decision. Perhaps that is because he is not quite ready for a career change.
Payton interviewed with the Carolina Panthers on Monday, according to Jeff Duncan of NOLA.com. He has a meeting scheduled with the Arizona Cardinals on Thursday. Payton was expected to have a second interview with the Denver Broncos this week, but Duncan says that has been delayed.
Duncan, who is as plugged-in as anyone with matters related to Payton, believes it could be a bad sign for interested teams that Payton is dragging out the process. That might indicate that Payton is leaning toward remaining with FOX.
Latest update on Sean Payton: He completed his interview with CAR on Monday in Charlotte and will meet with ARI officials Thursday, as previously reported. His second meeting with DEN has been delayed.
IMO, the longer this goes, the likelihood of Payton staying at Fox increases.
— Jeff Duncan (@JeffDuncan_) January 24, 2023
That is not the first we have heard of Payton possibly passing on all available coaching jobs. The 59-year-old has said he enjoys his gig working as an analyst for FOX, which is why he will likely wait for the perfect head coach opportunity. If he doesn’t view the Broncos, Panthers or Cardinals as the right fit, there will be plenty of interest in him again a year from now.
Payton has reportedly been recruited hard by one star quarterback, but it is unclear whether that has impacted his thoughts on coaching in 2023.