The extension that Sean Payton signed in 2019 was through 2024... He passed on 100MM from the Dolphins... and any team wanting him early would have to both compensate New Orleans but also get them to release him.

The Jerry himself -“For him, the Cowboys, that’s just sheer out of the air. It’s well known we’re good friends and we think a lot of him as a head coach. But in this case, asking the way you’re asking, he shouldn’t be a conversation piece.”

Doubt the Cowboys rumors are anything more than click bait. Jerry would LOVE nothing more than to throw Cowboys fans a bone by leaking Sean were going there if it were a possibility.

So, that would be 2 off seasons Payton would still be under contract, correct?

I’ve not heard any new rumors, nor do I have inside info. I’m just thinking of the idea that Dallas WILL be looking for a new coach this off-season and they are likely to be a very high draft pick. If that opportunity arises, I’d strike while the iron is hot for a top 5 pick rather than wait for a couple seasons to see what may develop. After all, Sean has to WANT to go there too, right? Otherwise if the Saints play hardball too much he just waits enough time and we get nothing. He is a perishable commodity to us.

Yes this is an onion regardless of how the talking heads portray it. Saints own the rights to Sean through 2024 and you are correct that's two seasons.

Quite a few stars have to align.
- Sean has to find what he called "the right fit".
- The Saints have to agree to releasing him. I wouldn't take a pick to let Sean go to the NFC South.
- The destination team has to offer something the Saints want. I suspect a 58yo winning-est coach for a franchise would be very expensive for a destination team.
- The destination team has to offer Sean something he wants. That Miami 100MM offer he turned down set a very high floor.


Lets assume all of the stars align... The Saints don't decide to hold on to his contract hoping he wants to come back to New Orleans after another year off, Dallas offers the moon to the Saints, and the Stars to Sean Payton.. While Sean and Jerry do have a good friendship, they are polar opposites in terms of Owner HC culture, Jerry can not keep his hands off and Sean requires autonomy. There would be a funeral after the first draft. I have some very close friends that I would never work with, and I believe that is where Sean is with Dallas/Jones.

I agree with The Oak. I just don't see Payton as a fit with the Cowboys. His whole philosophy runs counter to everything that Jerry Jones insists upon from a head coach. People bring up the "past ties" with the Cowboys. That's been almost two decades ago. If McCarthy is gone after this season I see Dan Quinn as the much better fit. The players love him. He'll give way to Jerry's management style and he'll come at a bargain. Jerry loves his draft picks far too much to give them away.

That’s fine Guido. But that is a lot different than your previous post of:

“I hope he tells Jones to go to hell and wait for the contract to expire.”

I think that would be the wrong move.

Yes this is an onion regardless of how the talking heads portray it. Saints own the rights to Sean through 2024 and you are correct that's two seasons.

Quite a few stars have to align.
- Sean has to find what he called "the right fit".
- The Saints have to agree to releasing him. I wouldn't take a pick to let Sean go to the NFC South.
- The destination team has to offer something the Saints want. I suspect a 58yo winning-est coach for a franchise would be very expensive for a destination team.
- The destination team has to offer Sean something he wants. That Miami 100MM offer he turned down set a very high floor.


Lets assume all of the stars align... The Saints don't decide to hold on to his contract hoping he wants to come back to New Orleans after another year off, Dallas offers the moon to the Saints, and the Stars to Sean Payton.. While Sean and Jerry do have a good friendship, they are polar opposites in terms of Owner HC culture, Jerry can not keep his hands off and Sean requires autonomy. There would be a funeral after the first draft. I have some very close friends that I would never work with, and I believe that is where Sean is with Dallas/Jones.

I am not sure how the rights to coaches works. For players, if they retire and don't play, their rights don't toll, so Detroit and Indy hold the rights to Megatron and Luck until they die. I would be surprised if coaches contracts just expire while they are retired, I would think we hold the rights to Payton until he comes back and coaches 2-3 for us, so another team can never get him without trading with us.

I think the Monday Night game introduces Denver as another possible destination for Payton. They have an elite short QB, good receivers, and a questionable coach the new owners didnt hire, making bad decisions and unable to get the offense to work. Unfortunately Denver does not have 2023 1st or 2nd round picks due to the Wilson trade. So I think they could be a player but we would have to take 2024 and/or 2025 picks. The key thing is that we need a bidding war or a big offer. We can't allow a situation where Payton says he is only interested in 1 team and that team offers a 3rd round pick because they are bidding against nobody and we take it because we are afraid to get nothing. We have to make them afraid of not getting their coach and make whoever it is pay dearly.