Sean Payton cites fleur-de-lis tattoos as reason for not leaving Saints

“I’ve got fleur-de-lis tattoos that can’t be erased!” Payton said during an interview Thursday night on WWL radio, via NOLA.com.

Tattoos notwithstanding, the reason Payton is presently being confronted about his future with the Saints stems in large part to ongoing rumors that Jerry Jones would be highly interested in bringing him in as a replacement for Jason Garrett. The Dallas Cowboys head coach is entering the final year in his deal in 2019, and Jones has demonstrated no real inclination to sign him to an extension.

That said, Payton is under contract through the 2020 season according to the terms of a five-year extension he signed in March of 2016. Either way, Payton appears intent on remaining with the Saints, who arguably came one blown call away from an appearance in Super Bowl LIII, for the long haul.

“I’m in my 13th year. I don’t know how to answer it,” Payton said. “I feel like it’s every other year; it’s on the odd number years, so 2019 it comes up and then we’ll hear it in 2021.”

Regarding the prospects of staying with the Saints, Payton said, “That’s clearly the plan.”