Sean Payton did not coach this season, but remains under contract with the New Orleans Saints through 2024.
Therefore, any team that wishes to lure Payton back to the sideline this offseason–and there have been a few possibilities tossed around–will need to compensate the Saints in order to make it happen.
According to reports, the compensation New Orleans is asking for is not cheap. They apparently want a first-round pick.
In the last 25 years, there have been four major trades involving head coaches. Three of them involved at least one first-round pick going back to the team losing its leader.
The only one that didn’t was the deal that sent Mike Holmgren from Green Bay to Seattle in 1999. The Seahawks sent a second-round pick to the Packers.
Payton went 152-89 in 15 seasons as the Saints’ head coach from 2006-11 and 2013-21. He led New Orleans to nine postseason appearances and a Super Bowl title.