Report: Sean Payton met with Saints GM Mickey Loomis 'for a couple of hours' Monday
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport dropped a bombshell over the weekend when he reported that New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton hasn't yet committed to working in his role for the 2022 NFL season even though he is under contract through the 2024 campaign. Saints fans did not have any concerns over Payton's status eased Monday when team owner Gayle Benson admitted "I don't think any of us know" what the one-time Super Bowl champion coach is planning regarding his future.
Jeff Duncan of The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate has since offered a bit of an update and reported Payton met with Saints general manager Mickey Loomis "for a couple of hours on Monday," but the nature of that conversation is unknown as of Tuesday afternoon.
As Mike Florio noted for Pro Football Talk, Payton has been linked with television opportunities this offseason as the Saints look to hopefully name a longtime replacement for retired quarterback and future Hall of Famer Drew Brees. Jameis Winston, New Orleans' new QB1 last September, was lost for the second half of the 2021 season due to a concerning knee injury on Halloween, and his status for next fall is up in the air as of late January. Swiss Army knife option Taysom Hill is locked down under contract but hasn't yet shown he can be a franchise signal-caller capable of guiding the Saints back to the playoffs.
The Saints currently possess Payton's rights and, thus, would have to be willing to trade him if he wishes to coach a different roster before the expiration of his deal. Perhaps, however, the 58-year-old is serious about retiring from coaching and following in the footsteps of recently departed legend John Madden as soon as later this year.
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