Sean Payton, the NFL's second-longest tenured head coach behind Bill Belichick, is parting ways with the New Orleans Saints.
Reports surfaced Sunday that Payton, who was hired by New Orleans in 2006 and won a Super Bowl in 2010, had not committed to returning to the Saints. Payton then reportedly met with Saints general manager Mickey Loomis on Monday.
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Following the retirement of longtime quarterback Drew Brees, a Saints team that was shorthanded due to injury and COVID-19 and started four different quarterbacks finished the regular season at 9-8. The team missed the playoffs for the first time in five seasons.
The 58-year-old Payton remains under contract through 2024, meaning a trade would have to be arranged in order to coach another team. Reports suggest Payton may spend a year or two doing television before returning to coaching.
Payton, who spent part of his childhood living in nearby Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, was the Eagles' quarterbacks coach in 1997 and 1998 under Ray Rhodes. Payton left the organization when the Eagles cleaned house after Rhodes' firing heading into the Andy Reid era. He followed that stint up with seven more years in the NFC East - four with the Giants, three with the Cowboys - before landing the Saints' head coaching position in 2006.
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Payton has a career record of 152-89, which is tied for 21st in NFL career coaching victories. Payton was suspended for the entire 2012 season for the Saints' bounty system on opposing players, becoming the first NFL head coach to be suspended for any reason.
The Saints are the ninth NFL team with a vacant head coach position. Internal candidates that could be a potential replacement for Payton include defensive coordinator Dennis Allen and offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael Jr.