It hasn’t even been a year yet, and Sean Payton is already getting tired of retirement.
The former Saints coach announced he was retiring from coaching shortly after the Saints season was over and now he might be eyeing a return after a season off.
In an interview with USA Today Sports, Payton talked about wanting to coach again, saying.
The calendar says that this is the time of year when the adrenaline ramps up a bit for Sean Payton.
“I usually get a pit in my stomach about seven days before camp opens,” Payton told USA TODAY Sports while undoubtedly in a total chill mode without a current NFL team to coach. “When do most teams go in, the 26th (of July), the 27th?”
Payton, 58, who stepped down earlier this year after a long, stellar run with the New Orleans Saints, will get back on the NFL calendar soon enough. He’s signed on with Fox Sports as a studio analyst and is upbeat about how his new TV job will keep him close to the game.
Then there’s that next gig. From the moment Payton ended his 15-year tenure with the Saints, buzz has persisted about his next stop. A recent Miami Herald report, citing a person close to Payton, said that he was eyeing three teams – the Dallas Cowboys, Los Angeles Chargers and Carolina Panthers – as potential landing spots. He’s hardly at a point to publicly declare (or limit himself to) that.
“Ultimately, do I think I’ll get back in? Sure,” Payton said. “There’s no way to predict who that club might be. Usually, there are about six openings every year. If there’s a right fit somewhere, that ultimately will depend on several factors.”
He’s already being linked to a few teams, including the Cowboys, Chargers, and Panthers. All three teams have coaches on the hot seat right now, so being linked to them makes sense. Wonder if he’s just waiting until one of those jobs opens up.
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