How True Are the Sean Payton Leaving the Saints Rumors?
How true are the Sean Payton leaving the Saints rumors? It depends on who you ask.
But one thing that is clear: after today’s humiliating 39-17 loss earlier today at the hands of the Philadelphia Eagles, the rumors are likely to grow even further rampant with each passing week as the 2015 season takes a turn for the worse — and with the Atlanta Falcons and Indianapolis Colts looming up next on the schedule.
The internet has been abuzz after ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported early Sunday morning that New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton may be on the move after this season.
Specifically Schefter said that there are several teams interested in obtaining the services of the coach who helped turn the Saints from lovable losers to Super Bowl champions in a short amount of time.
Among teams mentioned as interested by “league sources” are the Miami Dolphins and Indianapolis Colts who are both having less than happy starts to the 2015 season.
The Dolphins recently fired head coach Joe Philbin after a 1-3 start to the season and not posting a “winning” season since he was hired(7-9 in 2012, 8-8 in 2013, 8-8 in 2014).
Sep 20, 2015; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Miami Dolphins head coach Joe Philbin before the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Field. Mandatory Credit: Phil Sears-USA TODAY Sports
The Colts likewise may be looking to move forward after rumors are swirling that the relationship between head coach Chuck Pagano have soured somewhat although the Colts have posted an 11-5 record each year since his hiring in 2012.
These rumors about Payton are just that and should be taken with a grain of salt by everyone, especially Saints fans.
This is not the first time that Payton has been said to be headed elsewhere as noted in Scheffer’s report and 2013 was the most recent that I can remember it happening.
NFL Network’s Albert Breer reported following the disastrous 2012 “Bounty season” that Payton was being courted by the Dallas Cowboys as their new head coach.
When asked by Breer about this, me being one, he simply said that it was “sources” that told him this and noted the connections of Payton and the Cowboys organization.
Oct 11, 2014; Fayetteville, AR, USA; Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is honored along with his teammates from the 1964 team prior to the game between the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Arkansas Razorbacks at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports
Of course we know that didn’t happen and Payton stayed put with a new contract upon his return to the organization following his suspension for the 2012 season.
Also cited as connections for these new rumors is that Payton coached Dolphins interim head coach Dan Campbell while he was a tight end with the Cowboys and the Saints.
Arguably if there was some substance to these rumors then Miami could be a strong possibility due to more of the desperation of the franchise but not those weak connections…and let’s not get the Bill Parcells thing started shall we?
There is also the theory floating that even though Payton is under contract for the next two years that an interested team could try to trade for him much like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers did for Jon Gruden from the Oakland Raiders in 2002.
Jan 23, 2015; Scottsdale, AZ, USA; ESPN broadcaster and Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Oakland Raiders former coach Jon Gruden at Team Irvin practice at Scottsdale Community College in advance of the 2015 Pro Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
In that trade the Bucs gave up a 2002 and 2003 first round draft pick, 2002 and 2004 second round draft pick, and $8 million dollars to the Raiders.
While anything is possible in the NFL, the chances that Payton leaves via this method is highly unlikely since there are plenty of other coaching concerns they need to deal with at the conclusion of the season.
Something else is that it’s highly unlikely that the Saints would want to make a departure from the Payton/Brees connection despite the sudden downturn in production recently.
But these rumors that seem to pop up unexpectedly should be just as swiftly thrown out by fans of the Saints as well.
Or — should they ???