Mike McCarthy will coach the Cowboys in 2022. And Sean Payton will loom as a viable candidate to be given the job in 2023.
It’s such an open secret that NFL Honors host Keegan-Michael Key joked about it during Thursday’s ceremony, saying that, following Payton’s resignation from the Saints, “Sean will now return to his true passion: finding a way to take Mike McCarthy’s job.”
But it wouldn’t be Payton taking it as much as it would be Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, who nearly hired Payton three years ago, giving it. (The story about the near-hiring of Payton by Jones comes from Playmakers, by the way. Please buy it, by the way.)
Payton visited the set of PFT Live on Friday. Amid the swirling rumors that he’s a year away from becoming the Dallas coach, I asked Payton whether he has reached out or will reach out to McCarthy to tell him that he doesn’t have to look over his shoulder.
“I haven’t,” Payton said. “You know what, it’s a good idea because I felt like it took place for a while with Jason Garrett, a good friend of mine who I coached with at the Giants. Still a close friend to this day, and I consider Mike someone who’s a close friend. Mike’s done it long enough. We both entered the league as head coaches the same year in ’06. We’re of the same age and we’re of the same background. Look, our paths have been different. I’m his big fan and I think he’s one of those guys who’s a fantastic coach. I had this whole conversation with Saints’ ownership the week prior to the wildcard round and Mrs. Benson said, ‘Take a week, go on vacation to Mexico, and before you come back put that answer,’ because I knew then I wanted to step away. Sure enough, that first round game, Dallas loses. I’m like, ‘Ah, It would’ve been so much easier if I had the Tuesday before that.’”
That last part is telling. Payton knew that his departure from the Saints would spark immediate speculation that McCarthy will be out and Payton will be in, sooner or later. The fact that the Dallas season ended two days earlier served only to make it more likely.
Maybe there’s nothing Payton can say to McCarthy at this point. McCarthy is smart enough to know what’s going on. What could Payton or anyone else tell him at this point?
The story flows not from anything Payton has said or done but what Jones has wanted. He has wanted Payton. Now that Payton is available, the clock will begin to tick on Jones potentially getting him. McCarthy, Payton, and everyone else should realize that.