We have completed an interview with Sean Payton for our head coaching position. pic.twitter.com/w8XYwSxEJu
— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) January 17, 2023
And we’re off: Sean Payton has completed his first interview for a head coaching job during the 2023 offseason, with the Houston Texans announcing Monday evening that he met with the team. It had been previously reported that the former New Orleans Saints head coach was not allowed to hold formal interviews with other teams prior to Jan. 17; that distinction may have only applied to in-person interviews, in which case Payton was able to speak remotely with Texans management. Or they’re just throwing the rules aside altogether. Who knows?
At any rate, Payton’s facing a busy schedule this week. He’ll meet with the Denver Broncos in Los Angeles on Tuesday morning, ahead of an interview with Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper in New York on Friday. The Arizona Cardinals have also received permission to interview Payton for their vacancy but no scheduled appointment has yet been reported.
We’re finally getting close to the conclusion of this saga. Payton’s whereabouts and concerns have dominated the Saints news cycle ever since their 2022 season ended, and it will be nice to put this in rearview, take stock of whatever compensation New Orleans gets for trading him, and consider what moves they can make over the offseason so they can make a run for the playoffs in the fall. Let’s just practice patience a little while longer.