Former New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton is a hot commodity on this year’s NFL coaching market.
Payton remains under contract with the Saints through 2024, but that hasn’t stopped teams from wanting to see if they can lure him back onto the sideline after a year hiatus.
Right now, there are only five open head coaching jobs in the NFL, but three of those teams–the Denver Broncos, Arizona Cardinals and Houston Texans–have already requested to interview the 59-year-old Payton.
Payton can not formally interview with any team until after January 17.
Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals have already received permission to speak with Payton, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. Arizona fired head coach Kliff Kingsbury on Monday and is also looking for a new general manager after Steve Keim stepped down.
“Mentioned in story with @RapSheet last weekend on looming changes with the #Cardinals that Sean Payton had been doing homework on the Arizona job,” tweeted NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero Wednesday. “He’s a Kyler Murray fan, and with no GM in place, it’d be an opportunity to set up the whole operation.”
Denver Broncos
The Broncos were the first team to request permission to interview Payton. Denver fired head coach Nathaniel Hackett with two weeks left in the regular season and has been linked to a number of names since then.
Payton confirmed he had a conversation with Broncos ownership during his weekly appearance on FOX’s pregame show last Sunday.
Denver badly needs a head coach who can maximize Russell Wilson. Perhaps Payton fits that bill.
Houston Texans
The Texans are the latest team to get involved with Payton, and admittedly, we don’t see how there’s a possible fit here. Payton is reportedly looking for a franchise with strong and stable ownership, which is something Houston absolutely does not have.
The Texans also have an unsettled quarterback situation, though with the No. 2 pick in the upcoming NFL Draft, they have a premium asset to land a top prospect at the position.