It looks like Sean Payton will return to coaching in 2023, but if he does, the New Orleans Saints won’t let him come empty handed.
It’s unclear exactly what will happen when Sean Payton inevitably returns to the coaching job in 2023, which seems to be getting closer and closer to a certain thing.
Payton is already building a staff to take him with him wherever he is hired, with Adam Schefter reporting that Vic Fangio has already been tapped to be his defensive coordinator. Regardless of the recent news, rumors of where he might land have swirled for months.
But what will happen when he returns?
Payton retired from the Saints position, he has not been fired. That means New Orleans can get something back from the team hiring its former head coach in the form of a trade. The most famous example of a coaching swap was in 2002 when Oakland traded Jon Gruden to Tampa Bay, who won the Super Bowl.
There have also been recent examples of trades or near trades involving coaches switching teams without a firing playing a role.
Sean Payton trade rumors: What would be the right return for the Saints?
ESPN’s Bill Barnwell exposed some of these recent incidents, outlining what might be a realistic comeback Saints fans can look forward to when Payton leaves.
A first-round pick seems like a pretty fair value for what Payton could do for his next team. Rumors have been circulating that Payton could take over in Los Angeles and take Justin Herbert to the next level. Other potential teams are Indianapolis, Denver and Arizona, all teams with huge potential for someone like Payton.
The Buccaneers, which have a great defense and a player Payton would like to coach in 2022 as a quarterback (although Tom Brady is a free agent in 2023 and could follow Payton to Indy or Arizona), could be an attractive option.
No matter where he goes, the Saints would do well to have a high purchase price for Payton. New Orleans is going backwards and Payton is doing what he could do for the Saints but for someone else it’s something that deserves compensation.
While the prospect of Payton returning and the Saints securing a first-round pick for him sounds great, that doesn’t mean it’s going to happen. Barnwell underlined that when Bruce Arians retired – ironically to take a job with the Buccaneers – Arizona only received one late-season pick for him.
That said, the Saints control the board. There’s a storyline where they go the Arians way and let him go where he wants without being tough as a way of thanking him for everything he’s done for the franchise. But the NFL is a business and the Saints are a struggling team heading into an uncertain future. New Orleans has no quarterbacks, no wiggle room to navigate free agency, and no first-round picks to exploit in the future.
While the Saints might let Payton go for a small reward as a show of good faith, Payton’s parting gift to the franchise that will one day bring him to Canton might be to give them…
