Sean Payton put the New Orleans Saints in a ‘better’ place, but what’s next? – New Orleans Saints Blog

METAIRIE, La. — Perhaps the greatest testament to Sean Payton’s tenure as head coach of the New Orleans Saints is that the franchise doesn’t feel doomed now that he has decided to step away.

Not to shortchange him; obviously, it won’t be easy to replace one of the winningest coaches and greatest offensive minds in NFL history. It would be an understatement to say that Payton will leave the Saints better than when he arrived back in 2006.

Payton took over a team that hadn’t won a playoff match in 39 years. The team was also coming off a 3-13 record. New Orleans had just evacuated for the full season due to Hurricane Katrina. Both the city and the franchise were in uncertain times.

He joked Tuesday at his news conference, where he formally announced he was stepping down, that trying to build his first coaching staff was like the scene in the movie “Jerry Maguire” in which Tom Cruise was holding a goldfish and calling out, “Who’s coming with me?”

Payton invited quarterback Drew Brees, two months later. And since then, the Saints have made nine playoff appearances, including the franchise’s only Super Bowl win in 2009. Payton’s Saints teams averaged more points and more yards than any other coach-team duo in NFL history with more than five seasons together, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

They kept winning the past five seasons, even though they had to reinvent their self as Brees became older and retired last year. Only the Kansas City ChiefsHad a better record between 2017 and 2021 than the Saints (58-24).

When asked how he wants to be remembered, Payton said, “Someone who had passion. Someone who was passionate about helping others. Winning’s important in that.” And he mentioned his late parents instilling the idea that you “talk all the time about leaving a place better than when you got there to begin with.”

“I think we’ve done that. And it’s not finished,” said Payton, who mentioned the Saints’ staff of proven assistant coaches and the leadership, led by general manager Mickey Loomis, as being poised to keep moving the ball forward.

“We’re not writing an obituary today.”

So who’s next?

If the Saints want to preserve as much of their existing foundation as possible, Dennis Allen (defensive coordinator) and Pete Carmichael Jr. (offensive coordinator) are obvious choices.

Allen appears to be the leading contender, after he went 1-0 as the Saints’ interim head coach this season with a 9-0 defensive masterpiece at the Tampa Bay BuccaneersWhile Payton was away with COVID-19. Allen was previously the head coach for the then-COVID-19.Oakland RaidersFrom 2012 to 2014 (although he left the position with an 8-28 record after just three years). And he has helped transform the Saints’ defense into the team’s strength in recent years.

Payton mentioned Allen Tuesday, while explaining that they never discussed any arrangement with him where he could return to the Saints after a one-year hiatus.

“In fairness to Dennis, who’s a great candidate in the building, or any other coach that possibly would be hired, there’s no half in in this game,” Payton said.

The Saints could also consider bringing back Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, who has become a rising candidate after previously serving as New Orleans’ secondary coach from 2016 to 2020.

They could take a risk on another young person, like Payton.

“We’re gonna look in-house and outside,” Saints owner Gayle Benson said, “and I think we’re gonna do a great job in choosing another person that’s gonna be able to lead us the way that Sean did.”

As the ninth NFL team to have a head coach vacancy, the Saints are currently a few weeks behind. It should be an attractive opportunity, as New Orleans is still in win-now mode.

Don’t expect a rebuild

Yes, Saints projected salary cap increase of $70 million to begin the offseason. The Saints will now need to identify a coach and a starting QB. Jameis WinstonAs he heals from an ACL tear, he will be an unrestricted-free agent.

The Saints are able to do this. create more than $100 millionThrough their normal practice of restructuring, they can increase cap space without removing any players.

And they still have a ton of talent on the roster — especially on defense — which is why they didn’t consider rebuilding last year, either, after Brees retired and they faced even stiffer cap constraints.

The Saints were almost in the playoffs at 9-8, despite major injuries and coronavirus issues. They set an NFL record with 58 different starters used, according to ESPN Stats & Information research, and that didn’t even include star wide receiver Michael ThomasThe injury meant that he missed the entire year after suffering a setback during his recovery from ankle surgery. And knowing their aggressive history, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Saints take a big swing at a blockbuster QB trade.

This is all easier said than done. But it’s important to stress that Payton isn’t leaving because he feels like this team is on the verge of imminent collapse. On Tuesday, he repeated his belief that the opposite is true.

What’s next for Payton?

Most likely, a TV job. However, he claimed Tuesday that reports that he had already been in discussions with TV networks were false.

“I think I’d like to do that. I think I’d be pretty good at it. … But I have not spoken to anyone from a media outlet,” Payton said. “Every time I read something that says, ‘He’s in line for this job,’ I’ll call my agent and say, ‘Don [Yee]Did you hear something?’”

Payton stressed that he doesn’t plan to coach elsewhere in 2022. Payton is still under contract for three years with the Saints, so they would need to make a trade in case he decides to coach somewhere else.

However, Payton did not rule out a return to coaching in the future, stressing multiple times that “retirement” is not the right word for what he is doing. You can be sure that he will return to coaching as soon as the next season.

Payton seemed more interested in the idea of exploring new chapters in life than anything else.

“I looked at it as an opportunity to see my kids more, to travel more, to get in better shape,” said Payton, who also noted he has never tailgated before a game in his entire life.

“I don’t know what’s next,” Payton said. “And it kind of feels good.”