Danno

Fletcher Mackel: Dear Saints fans, Enjoy Sean Payton's final 5 games in New Orleans

NEW ORLEANS —While many are sick of reading about the post-Hurricane Katrina love story between a wounded but great American city and its rebuilding NFL team, for those of us proud to call New Orleans home, romanticizing the connection between Sean Payton's Saints and the Crescent City is something we'll always find relevant....


Payton has been linked to potential NFL openings in Indianapolis, Philadelphia, New York (Giants) and San Francisco. I'm of the belief that if San Diego fires Mike McCoy, Payton would jump at the Chargers job -- especially if San Diego relocates to Los Angeles.

Heck, Peter King, of NBC Sports, even suggested last year Payton may have wanderlust, and may want a new challenge. Payton quickly denied King's report, calling it silly.

When reports of Payton coaching somewhere else in 2016 first surfaced this season I thought they probably originated from his camp.

I believed his agent (or a close confidant) was the person leaking the details to the media to make Payton, remains a hot name.

But more and more I'm thinking the Payton rumors are coming from Airline Drive.

I'm thinking Saints owner Tom Benson and his top lieutenants, Dennis Lauscha and Mickey Loomis, look at Payton as no longer being cost effective.

Payton is the highest paid head coach in the league, but unless the Black and Gold makes a miracle run, they'll finish with a losing record for the second consecutive season and that's not good enough.

Fletcher Mackel: Dear Saints fans, Enjoy Sean Payton's final 5 games in New Orleans | New Orleans - WDSU Home