3 coaches the Saints should target to replace Sean Payton

New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton shocked the NFL world this week when he announced that he would be stepping away from the team after 15 seasons. It was a move that most didn't see coming and one that appears to have left the Saints in a difficult situation.

The New Orleans-based franchise will enter the 2022 NFL offseason with the worst salary cap situation in the NFL. They are projected to be more than 70 million dollars over the salary cap this year. This would imply that they are likely heading towards a full rebuild in an attempt to fix their current financial predicament.

Some believe the precarious position the Saints find themselves in could be the reason why Sean Payton stepped away from the team and opted to retire, at least for the time being. He simply may not have been interested in embarking on a rebuilding project after having spent 16 years with them.

Regardless of his reasonings, the Saints are now in a worse spot than they were before. They will need to replace their legendary head coach and here are three potential candidates that could potentially fill those shoes.

3 Potential candidates to replace Sean Payton in New Orleans

#1 - Dennis Allen

New Orleans Saints defensive coordinator Dennis Allen

Dennis Allen is probably the most obvious choice to replace Sean Payton for the Saints. He has been their defensive coordinator for the last seven seasons, where he found success. The Saints ranked seventh in total defense in the 2021 NFL season. Allen also has previous head coaching experience with the Raiders (2021-2014). He now appears to be one of the front runners for the job.

#2 - Brian Flores

Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores

Brian Flores is one of the hottest head coaching candidates this offseason after surprisingly being fired by the Miami Dolphins. He apparently disagreed with the organization about the future of quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.

Flores holds an NFL head coaching record of 19-14 over the last two seasons. He also helped the Dolphins completely rebuild their team way ahead of schedule. That could be a desirable attribute for the Saints, given their situation this offseason.

#3 - Aaron Glenn

Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn

Aaron Glenn is one of the newer names involved in the head coach interviewing cycle this year. He has already interviewed with the Denver Broncos and is scheduled to interview with the Saints. He spent five years as the Saints defensive backs coach under head coach Sean Payton before taking the Detroit Lions defensive coordinator job for the 2021 NFL season.