Former Saints HC Sean Payton reveals what he’d consider before making NFL return

Sean Payton walked away from coaching following the 2021 season. He spent his entire head coaching career with the New Orleans Saints, though he assisted in different roles with other teams prior to that.

Since his retirement, many teams have shown interest in his services. For the entire duration that he was an NFL coach, he was widely regarded as one of the best in the league. However, it would reportedly take a lot for him to consider returning, according to the Athletic:

“It would be the comfort level with ownership and the front office, with the leadership structure, with likeminded thinking. Are more of those opportunities out there? I don’t think many. I think there are a lot of dysfunctional teams in our league. There are some places where talent can die. I just want to avoid those places."

He continued:

“I want to become part of another program to help win, but I think there will be some places where maybe that won’t be the case. Who knows? It’s really more about finding the right people. I came here in 2006 right after (Hurricane) Katrina. There was nothing. They were 3-13. The facility, the record, the roster, none of that was appealing. But Mickey Loomis was appealing.”

Despite having only been retired for one season, Payton isn't ruling out a return to football in the near future.

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Why did Sean Payton leave the Saints?

Payton retired from the NFl after the 2021 season. In that campaign the Saints missed out on the postseason by just one game. They had a chance to sneak in during the final week, but the San Francisco 49ers' win kept them at home.

Indianapolis Colts v New Orleans Saints

Despite that, the team's status played no role in Payton's decision. According to WWLTV, the retired coach just felt that he needed to:

“It was time. I felt like it was time maybe heading into training camp. I felt the time was right for me.”

He continued:

“There’s a lot of sacrifices that you make. I looked at it as an opportunity to see my kids more, to travel more to get in better shape.”

Even then, he stopped short of saying he was done for good and wouldn't even use the word retirement.

If you use any of the above quotes, please credit The Athletic, WWLTV and H/T Sportskeeda.