The New Orleans Saints suddenly find themselves in search of a new head coach after Sean Payton informed the team he is stepping down.
Several recent reports claimed Payton was uncertain about coaching the Saints in 2022 and contemplating his future. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Media, he made his decision on Tuesday.
The news comes as a shock. Payton has been with the Saints since 2006. He was the second-longest-tenured head coach with his franchise in the NFL behind only Bill Belichick.
Rapoport said over the weekend that Payton was unlikely to coach a different team in 2022, so it remains to be seen if that holds true. If he does return to coaching in 2023 or later, it will almost certainly be with another organization.
The Saints finished 9-8 this season in what was Payton’s first year without Drew Brees as his starting quarterback. He may have another career path in mind for the time being.
While the quarterback situation is uncertain heading into next season, the Saints job should be an attractive one for head coaching candidates.
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