Former New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton. Andrew Wevers-USA TODAY Sports

Sean Payton missed being on sidelines while watching Saints-Bucs game

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports | By Grey Papke | Last updated 9/19/22

Former New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton may have dropped a hint about his future Monday when discussing Week 2’s NFL action.

In his weekly appearance on “The Herd with Colin Cowherd” Monday, Payton admitted that he had watched his former team take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 2. The 58-year-old conceded that he missed being involved while doing so.

"Yesterday was the first day since I've retired that I had FOMO. I was missing out. It bothered me I wasn't a part of that."@SeanPayton on yesterday's Bucs/Saints game pic.twitter.com/XnygEbsaDl

— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) September 19, 2022

“Yesterday was the first day after I’ve retired that I had FOMO,” Payton said. “I honestly was missing out. It bothered me that I wasn’t a part of that. I saw Bruce (Arians) on the sidelines, bless his heart. I’m thinking, ‘BA’s close to the action.'”

Yes, Payton was making these comments in the context of a big, heated rivalry game. Still, this is not the sort of talk you would expect to hear from someone who is permanently retired from coaching.

To be fair, few think Payton’s so-called retirement is a permanent one. Rumor has it that the former Saints coach has already given some thought about what he wants in his next job. Expect him to focus on his analyst work for the 2022 season, but if this was his reaction to a Week 2 game, Payton will probably be itching to find a head coaching gig by the time the playoffs arrive.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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