Sean Payton informs Saints he's stepping down as head coach

Sean Payton Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports

Sean Payton informs Saints he's stepping down, retiring as head coach

By Zac Wassink | Last updated 1/25/22

Amid rumors that New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton hadn't committed to working the 2022 NFL season as a member of the organization, a report surfaced that Payton met with Saints general manager Mickey Loomis "for a couple of hours on Monday."

It appears the public now knows the nature of that discussion.

Multiple reports confirmed Payton informed the Saints he's stepping down as head coach. Those quickly looking to link him with another team, such as the Dallas Cowboys, should pump the figurative brakes. ESPN's Mike Triplett and others report the 58-year-old is retiring from coaching at the highest level:

I can confirm via source that Sean Payton is stepping away from coaching. Press conference expected this afternoon. https://t.co/2JK6ZsbNbL
— Mike Triplett (@MikeTriplett) January 25, 2022

Payton took over as Saints head coach in 2006 and guided the franchise to a Super Bowl victory over the Indianapolis Colts for the 2009 campaign. His teams made nine total postseason appearances under his watch. However, he lost starting quarterback and future Hall of Famer Drew Brees to retirement after the 2020 season and endured a difficult subsequent campaign that saw the Saints win nine games but fall just short of a playoff berth.

Saints owner Gayle Benson admitted on Monday she didn't know Payton's plans for 2022 and beyond, and Triplett notes that "television networks have shown considerable interest in hiring" the one-time Super Bowl champion coach.

Payton is under contract through 2024, so the Saints would retain his rights if he attempted a return to the sidelines for any team down the road. It was previously said he could take at least the 2022 season off from coaching and instead accept a role with a network as an NFL analyst, and it appears he's heading in that direction as of the last full week of January.

Sean Payton is under contract through 2024 with the #Saints. If another team wanted to swoop it, they would need to compensate New Orleans. But that’s a conversation for next offseason. https://t.co/7v8gr8GW0c
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 25, 2022

Sean Payton was wrestling with stepping away for a year or two or retirement months. Told Mrs B couple of weeks ago & she asked him to take some time off and think about it. He’s gone up and down about it for a while too but the theme I got more than not is that he needs a break
— Jay Glazer (@JayGlazer) January 25, 2022

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