Sean Payton Interview Postponed After Tragic Death

JAN 20 PAYTON INTERVIEW ON HOLD Professional soccer player Anton Walkes has died following a boat crash in Florida, authorities said Thursday, a tragedy that impacts on the sports world in Charlotte.

Walkes, 25, was a player for the MLS club Charlotte FC, owned by David Tepper, who also owns the NFL's Carolina Panthers.

Tepper said all involved are "devastated by the tragic passing of Anton Walkes. ... He was a tremendous son, father, partner and teammate whose joyous approach to life touched everyone he met.''

In light of the tragedy, Tepper and the Panthers contingent, which had been in New York to interview head coaching candidate Sean Payton on Friday, instead traveled back to North Carolina while putting Payton's interview on hold.

JAN 17 ANOTHER DQ SUITOR Add the Indianapolis Colts to the Dan Quinn interview request list.

The Cowboys defensive coordinator, who will interview for the top job with the Denver Broncos on Friday, is also on the wish list in Indy. Quinn will of course juggle the visit or visits while he prioritizes his preparation for Dallas' Sunday playoff game at San Francisco.

JAN 16 PAYTON UPDATE The Houston Texans have completed an interview with Sean Payton, an NFL source tells TexansDaily.com.

Meanwhile, Payton himself has offered a revelation, saying that the cost to trade for him for any interested team would be "a mid- or late-first-round pick.''

Payton has meanwhile dismissed the idea of the Cowboys as a viable destination for him as he exits "retirement.'' ... as Mike McCarthy looks to be secure in Dallas.

Payton is a top candidate for the Denver job, as is Dallas defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, who will interview with the Broncos on Friday.

Jim Harbaugh has pulled himself out of Denver consideration, opting to remain at the University of Michigan.

JAN 14 BYE KLIFF! FOX is reporting that former Arizona Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury - dismissed this week - is telling potential employers (who might want him as an offensive coordinator) that he is not available at this time.

And why not?

Kliff apparently bought a plane ticket.

A ticket to Thailand.

A one-way ticket to Thailand.

JAN 14 SEAN SWEEPSTAKES The Denver Broncos and top head-coaching candidate Sean Payton ... might be a match?

The Washington Post reporting that the Broncos "appear to be the front-runner" for Payton, the former Saints' Super Bowl-winning coach.

Payton, 59, is scheduled to meet the Broncos in Los Angeles on Tuesday morning.  Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn is also high on the Denver wish list.

JAN 13 MCVAY TO STAY Sean McVay retiring?

That will have to wait another year.

The Super Bowl-winning Rams coach has decided to keep working rather than take a break and go in TV, per multiple reports.

McVay recently told his assistants that they can seek other employment, and in his own media visits has given cryptic responses about his future … 

There were rumors that McVay might leave last year after the Rams won Super Bowl LVI over the Bengals, with reports that he had received a five-year, $100 million offer to join the Amazon broadcast booth.But now he’ll stay on after a losing season and rebuild … at least until a year from now, when we’re sure we’ll be covering the same story again.

JAN 13 BILL'S REPLACEMENT? They said they might be "making changes.'' The New England Patriots seem rather serious about this. From our Patriots SI crew in Boston:

"In an atypical display of transparency, the Pats issued a statement on Thursday night both confirming their intention to begin interviewing potential offensive coordinators, and to announce that they have “begun contract extension conversations” with inside linebackers coach Jerod Mayo on staying with the team long-term.

The new extension for Mayo - who is getting feelers from other hiring teams - will likely come with an upgraded title (possibly, defensive coordinator?) and it perhaps is setting the stage for Mayo to be the successor to Bill Belichick, age 70, as head coach?

Read more here.

JAN 11 HIRE SEAN. FIRE THE REST Writes our man Mike Fisher: "Welcome back to the NFL, Houston Texans. You are almost a real, live, viable professional franchise again. ... All because you put in an interview request for Sean Payton.

Payton is the "prom king'' of this Coaching Carousel, by far the most proven commodity among the "new'' potential head coaches. We don't really need to rattle off his resume, but ... In 16 seasons with the Saints as head coach, Payton helped guide the team to seven division titles, three NFC Championship Games (2006, 2009, and 2018) and a victory in Super Bowl XLIV. 

And Fish's suggestion for the hapless Texans, should Payton truly be interested?

Complete control. Like Belichick. Like Popovich. And everybody else get the hell out of his way.

Fish's Sean Payton column is here.

JAN 11 2 OC MOVES? The Jets parting ways with offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur, league sources tell CowboysSI.com. ... a shuffle that is happening just as Dallas' Kellen Moore - "the smartest guy in every room!'' - enters the Coaching Carousel as a candidate for the top job in Carolina.

JAN 10 WASHINGTON FIRING The Washington Commanders are looking for a new offensive coordinator after firing Scott Turner on Tuesday.

Turner, 40, coordinated the Commanders offense for three seasons on Ron Rivera's staff, but Washington finished 20th in total offense this season, averaging 330.3 yards per game.

There are a number of candidates who could be linked to the job, but perhaps the biggest name could be former Denver Broncos head coach Nathaniel Hackett, who was fired on Dec. 26 after going just 4-11 through 15 games.

The big reason he was hired by the Broncos was his success in leading Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers to an MVP award in 2021 in his age-37 season.

Rodgers is expected to be a free agent this offseason and could be looking for a change of scenery, especially after the Packers missed the playoffs with an 8-9 record.

It's a longshot for Rodgers to move to Washington D.C. in 2023, but there was interest for him to come to the nation's capital when he was mulling his future a year ago. But if he were to go, bringing along his former offensive coordinator could elevate the Commanders from a good team to one of the league's elite.

Turner is of course the son of former Cowboys Super Bowl-winning coordinator and Washington head coach Norv Turner.

JAN 10: DQ RESPONDS, HARBAUGH VISITS The Dallas Cowboys finished the regular season with a disappointing 26-6 loss on the road to the Washington Commanders, but that hasn't slowed the interest in league circles in Dan Quinn as a head coach.

But on Monday, Quinn himself "slowed'' things just a bit.

"Anybody asks you, you're flattered, ..." Quinn said Monday inside The Star about the interview request from the Broncos. "So just right where my feet are and enjoying, and then we're gonna (have) a kick-ass week."

That is the Cowboys' defense coordinator's rather standard answer to such questions, but it is also the truth in how he conducts his business. Yes, Quinn is yet again a candidate for the Denver job, a vacancy he interviewed for a year ago before Denver ultimately chose Nathaniel Hackett. 

Meanwhile, the Broncos on Monday conducted a visit with Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh. And Sean Payton remains high on their wish list.

JAN 9: KLIFF FIRED Last March, Texas native Kliff Kingsbury signed a six-year extension as the head coach of the Cardinals.

And now it’s over.

Kingsbury led the Cardinals to a record of 4–13, their worst record since Kingsbury arrived in Arizona, and now he’s been fired.

JAN 9 QUINN DENVER REQUEST  Dan Quinn and the Cowboys have received from Denver a request to interview the defensive coordinator, as first reported by NFL Network.

Quinn was a finalist for the same job a year ago. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has vowed to again keep Quinn working at The Star.

JAN 8 LOVIE OUT, EAGLES COACH IN? Houston Texans coach Lovie Smith has been fired, and sources tell us the Texans and Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon will have mutual interest moving forward.

Smith finished 3-13-1 in his lone season in charge.

Several league sources have labeled Gannon as a top candidate for the Texans' potential opening after he made a strong impression during two interviews last season before the Texans promoted Smith from defensive coordinator.

Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and Broncos defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero are other highly regarded candidates.

JAN 8: QUINN VS. THE DENVER FIELD Sean Payton's people have whispered that he's not interested in the Denver Broncos. And Jim Harbaugh this week came right out and said he's planning on staying at the University of Michigan.

Both were ... um ... fibbing. And what they actually decide to do figures to impact the Dallas Cowboys coaching staff, especially defensive coordinator Dan Quinn and offensive coordinator Kellen Moore.

Read all about it here.

JAN 8: LOVIE OUT? Sources tell us that coach Lovie Smith's job security is considered to be in serious danger heading into the final game of another dismal season for the Texans. Furthermore, we are told Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon and Houston would have mutual interest if the job comes open. Stay tuned ...

JAN 8: PEES RETIRING? Atlanta Falcons defensive coordinator Dean Pees is no stranger to hanging up the play sheet.

Pees, 73, is the NFL's oldest coach and has twice retired, once following the 2017 season with the Baltimore Ravens before reversing course a month later and joining the Tennessee Titans, and again two years after, ultimately coming back to coaching after a season off once Arthur Smith took the head coaching job in Atlanta.

And if he retires again? Here's the in-house list for the Falcons jump-up.

JAN 2: 'DUMB' MOVE - RON IN JEOPARDY? Cowboys at Commanders comes on the heels of this story: "Dumb' Coach Ron Rivera Getting Fired by Dan Snyder?'' This is worth monitoring ... all because of a commitment to Carson Wentz.