After 16 seasons as head coach of the New Orleans Saints, Sean Payton is stepping down from his position, according to a source familiar with recent talks between the head coach and ownership.
Payton informed Saints general manager Mickey Loomis and team owner Gayle Benson of the decision on Monday, following extended talks over the past week and then a short break to consider his future. The source said it hasn’t been determined whether Payton will be leaving the team permanently, but the organization is planning to move forward and could install defensive coordinator Dennis Allen as head coach as quickly as this week.
As of Tuesday morning, the source said it’s premature to assume Payton is permanently breaking from the franchise or speculate on him potentially landing a head coaching job elsewhere. The 58-year-old Payton is currently under contract through 2024 and the Saints would be entitled to trade compensation if any team were considering a pursuit prior to the expiration of that deal.
The move by Payton caps a roller-coaster season for New Orleans, which started the 2021 season playing its first home game in Jacksonville due to complications from Hurricane Ida. The Saints ultimately didn’t play a home game in New Orleans until October, then struggled all season at quarterback following the retirement of Drew Brees, losing starter James Winston to a knee injury in November and then juggling the position between Trevor Siemian and Taysom Hill. New Orleans also worked through a tense ankle surgery and rehabilitation rift with star wideout Michael Thomas, who ultimately missed the entire season.
Despite all the struggles, Payton coached the Saints to a 9-8 finish, narrowly missing the playoffs on a tiebreaker with with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Even with the team exceeding expectations, there was a sense of uncertainty surrounding Payton when the season ended. A handful of sources across the league speculated that Payton could ultimately be traded to another team like the Dallas Cowboys if he wanted out of the organization, continuing a string of offseasons where a speculated Dallas pursuit has been floated.
While Payton’s future is unknown, the demand for his services is not. Multiple suitors would line up for Payton as a head coach, even with draft compensation being a necessary part of the deal. And if he leaves football either for a year or permanently, he will be a hotly pursued NFL analyst, similar to when he served a season-long suspension in 2012 for the bounty scandal.