Saints’ Payton steps aside, future unclear
Sean Payton has plenty of options for how he will spend next fall, but one will not be coaching the New Orleans Saints.
The longtime head coach announced Tuesday that he is stepping down from his job with the Saints after 16 years at the helm, and while he isn’t ruling out coaching again, he said his plans “are not to be coaching in 2022.”
“I don’t know what’s next and it kind of feels good,” Payton said Tuesday during a heartfelt press conference. “I don’t like the word retirement. ... I still have a vision for doing things in football. and I’ll be honest with you, that might be coaching again at some point. I don’t think it’s this year. Maybe in the future, but that’s not where my heart is right now, not at all.”
Payton coached for 15 seasons in New Orleans with a Super Bowl, seven division titles and a 152-89 record. He was hired in 2006 — leading the Saints in their first season back in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina devastated the city a year earlier — but missed the 2012 season after being suspended for his involvement in Bountygate.
The 58-year-old said he met with general manager Mickey Loomis, owner Gayle Benson and team president Dennis Lauscha last week to talk about his future. They told him to take some time to think about it, but Payton ultimately came to the decision that it was time for him to step away.
“I just felt like this season — it was challenging for everyone, but man, I felt like it was time,” Payton said. “I kind of knew heading into training camp this might [be my last season], but you don’t share that with anyone. You think, ‘Well, let’s see how the season goes.’ ”
Payton’s final season with the Saints — their first without Drew Brees since he retired — was a frustrating one as they went 9-8 and just missed the playoffs while battling key injuries, including having to use four different starting quarterbacks. Jameis Winston and Taysom Hill combined to go 9-3 in their starts, but Trevor Siemian and Ian Book were 0-5.
While he decides whether he wants to return to coaching at some point down the road, Payton is expected to garner plenty of interest from television networks. The Post’s Andrew Marchand reported that Payton would likely profile more as a studio analyst, but he could also be a possible candidate as a game analyst.
“I’d like to try TV,” said Payton, who added that he had not yet spoken to any networks about a job. “I’ve had some opportunities and yet I really don’t know part of it that well. But that would be something that would interest me. ... Hopefully that opportunity comes.”
With Payton’s departure, the Saints became the ninth NFL team to be looking for a new head coach this offseason. While Payton, the former Giants offensive coordinator for three seasons under Jim Fassel, doesn’t expect to fill any of those other vacancies, he is reportedly under contract for three more seasons, meaning the Saints would likely require compensation if he is hired elsewhere before his contract runs out.
“We’re not writing an obituary today,” Payton said. “It’s a step. It’s just another direction.”