New Orleans Saints

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said he's made no contact with former New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton, who stepped down from that role on Tuesday.

Jones told David Moore of the Dallas Morning News the Payton situation wasn't a factor in the team's evaluation of its own coaching staff following the 2021 season.

"I understand the speculation. Sean is an outstanding coach. But I haven't talked to him and am not in any way part of his departure there in New Orleans," Jones said Friday. "He didn't have any place in anything I'm doing regarding our staff."

The Cowboys' longtime owner also told Moore the status of head coach Mike McCarthy was "never in question" and the hope was to keep the staff intact, though defensive coordinator Dan Quinn and offensive coordinator Kellen Moore attracted outside interest.

"My goal was to keep the continuity of this group together. We met many times face-to-face with Dan, myself and Mike, to coordinate and talk to him," Jones said. "We were very much in a competitive environment because we felt Dan did have the opportunity to be a head coach."

Quinn informed interested teams Thursday he was sticking with the Cowboys, per Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network. Moore has a second interview scheduled with the Miami Dolphins about their head coaching vacancy, according to the NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.

Dallas won the NFC East with a 12-5 record during the regular season, but it was eliminated by the San Francisco 49ers in the opening round of the playoffs.

While the quick exit raised questions about McCarthy's status, Jones is trying to push aside rumors the coach's status was in jeopardy before the focus shifts to the 2022 campaign.

McCarthy has compiled an 18-15 record in two years with the Cowboys after going 125-77-2 across 13 years leading the Green Bay Packers' staff, highlighted by a Super Bowl XLV title.

Meanwhile, Payton posted a 152-89 mark during his 15-year tenure with the Saints and won a championship in Super Bowl XLIV.

The 58-year-old California native said stepping down from the Saints didn't represent a retirement from coaching, but also noted he wasn't planning an immediate return to the sideline in 2022.

"I don't know what's next—and it kind of feels good," Payton told reporters. "But, man, I felt like it was time. ... But not with any regret. There's some excitement, like, 'All right, what's next?'"

Jones' comments should quiet the speculation in the short term, but the rumors of Payton potentially taking over in Dallas will likely return if the Cowboys fall short of expectations next season.

The New Orleans Saints are reportedly hoping to interview former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores about their head coaching vacancy following the departure of Sean Payton.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Friday it's unclear whether the Saints will get that chance with Flores among the final candidates to fill the New York Giants' opening:

Payton stepped aside Tuesday after 15 years leading the New Orleans staff. The 58-year-old California native said it's not a formal retirement but rather a chance to explore other avenues while keeping the door open to coach again in the future.

"I don't know what's next—and it kind of feels good," he told reporters. "But, man, I felt like it was time. ... But not with any regret. There's some excitement, like, 'All right, what's next?'"

He leaves a significant void after compiling a 152-89 regular-season record with the Saints. His teams also went 9-8 in the playoffs, highlighted by winning the Super Bowl XLIV title.

Meanwhile, Flores was the most surprising head coach firing of the current cycle.

Even though he posted a 24-25 record and didn't reach the playoffs across three years, he was coming off back-to-back winning seasons and generally seemed to have the Dolphins moving in a positive direction.

So it's no surprise he's become a popular candidate elsewhere. SNY's Ralph Vacchiano reported Thursday the Giants' search has come down to Flores and Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll, with Bills defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier as a sleeper.

It sounds like if New York opts for one of the Buffalo assistants, the Saints are prepared to swoop in to make Flores a key part of their search.

The 40-year-old New York City native won four Super Bowl titles across 15 years in the New England Patriots organization (2004-2018), first in the scouting department then as an assistant coach.

More recently, he finished third in the Associated Press' Coach of the Year voting in 2020 after guiding the Dolphins to a 10-6 record.

Flores is a strong bet to land another head coaching job before next season gets underway.

Sean Payton won't coach in 2022, but that isn't stopping interested teams from gauging whether he wants to get back on the sideline.

Appearing on The Dan Patrick Show, Payton said Thursday he's "not looking at" coaching even though two teams have contacted him via back channels:

Payton announced Tuesday he was stepping down as head coach of the New Orleans Saints after 15 seasons.

During his press conference, Payton didn't close the door on returning to the league. 

"I still have a vision for doing things in football, and I'll be honest with you, that might be coaching again at some point. I don't think it's this year; I think maybe in the future. But that's not where my heart is right now. It's not at all," he said.

Payton did bring up the possibility of doing television or radio work as an NFL analyst. 

As soon as the news of Payton's decision came out, the Dallas Cowboys were raised as a potential landing spot.

Payton has been linked to Dallas numerous times over the years. He was the team's assistant head coach and quarterbacks coach or passing game coordinator for three seasons from 2003-05 before he was hired as head coach of the Saints in 2006. 

Per ESPN's Todd Archer, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has "thought long and hard about [it] numerous times since losing Payton to New Orleans in 2006."

Mike McCarthy is still Dallas' head coach, though Jones has said he was unhappy with the team's performance in a 23-17 playoff loss to the San Francisco 49ers.

"I won't get into any conversations that I've had with anybody relative to anything to do with staff," Jones told 105.3 The Fan on Friday (via Jori Epstein of USA Today). "I've got a lot to think about regarding these coaches."

Any team formally interested in Payton will have to call the Saints first. He had three years remaining on his contract, so New Orleans could seek compensation. 

If Payton does coach again, he will certainly attract a lot of attention from teams looking to upgrade. He went 152-89 with nine playoff appearances and a victory in Super Bowl XLIV.    

The New Orleans Saints have requested an interview with Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich for their vacant head coaching position, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

New Orleans is in search of a new head coach after longtime coach Sean Payton announced his resignation this week and said he intends to take time away from coaching in 2022.

Leftwich has been a hot head coaching candidate in recent weeks, specifically with the Jacksonville Jaguars, who he played for from 2003-06 as a quarterback.

Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times reported Wednesday that Leftwich and the Jags were trying to finalize an agreement for him to become the team's head coach, but Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com followed up with a report that negotiations between Leftwich and the Jaguars hit a snag.

Leftwich began his coaching career as the Arizona Cardinals' quarterbacks coach in 2017, and he spent part of 2018 as interim offensive coordinator before Bucs head coach Bruce Arians hired him to be the OC in Tampa in 2019.

Even before the arrival of quarterback Tom Brady, Leftwich worked wonders with Tampa Bay's offense in 2019.

With Jameis Winston at quarterback, the Bucs ranked third in the NFL in both total offense and scoring offense. Winston remarkably threw for 5,109 yards and 33 touchdowns, although he also threw 30 interceptions.

Arians was fed up with the mistakes, which led to the Bucs signing Brady in free agency.

The combination of Leftwich and Brady worked well, with the Buccaneers ranking seventh in total offense and third in scoring in 2020, and second in both categories in 2021.

Leftwich also played a role in the Bucs winning their second-ever Super Bowl at the conclusion of the 2020 campaign.

In addition to his coaching experience, Leftwich spent 10 years in the NFL as a quarterback with the Jags, Atlanta Falcons, Pittsburgh Steelers and Bucs.

New Orleans could represent an enticing opportunity for Leftwich given the success the Saints enjoyed under Payton.

In Payton's 15 seasons as head coach, the Saints went 152-89, made the playoffs nine times, won seven NFC South titles and won one Super Bowl.

They reached the playoffs in four straight seasons from 2017-20 and narrowly missed out this season with a 9-8 record.

New Orleans has major question marks at quarterback after Winston, Taysom Hill and Trevor Siemian all started games in 2021, but if the Saints re-sign Winston, it could potentially interest Leftwich given that they worked together in Tampa in 2019.

Winston struggled with turnovers that season, but Leftwich got the most out of him otherwise, so it could be a winning combination in New Orleans.

The Los Angeles Rams will have a chance at redemption against the San Francisco 49ers in Sunday's NFC Championship Game after blowing a 14-point second-half lead to their division rivals in Week 18.

It turns out that game hurt the New Orleans Saints more than the Rams because it kept the NFC South club out of the playoffs and gave a wild-card spot to San Francisco.

"Our record was 9-8," former Saints head coach Sean Payton said, per NFL Network's Andrew Siciliano, who noted there may have been some sarcasm involved. "We didn't get in the playoffs. We're rooting against the Rams because of that."

Making the playoffs also would have prolonged Payton's time with the Saints considering he is stepping away from the team.

He leaves the Saints after 15 years of coaching with a 152-89 record to go with one Super Bowl ring and one Coach of the Year.

And perhaps one grudge against the Rams.

Sean Payton stepped down from his post as the New Orleans Saints head coach Tuesday, though he left open the possibility of returning to football in some capacity in the future.  

"As I sit here today, I don't know what's next. I haven't spoken to anyone from a media outlet relative to doing TV or radio," he told reporters. "Maybe that opportunity arises. ... I think I'd like to do that and I think I'd be pretty good at it." 

Payton made it pretty clear he won't be coaching next season, however. 

"I get it. I understand it," he said of any speculation that he might join a different NFL team. "My plans are not to be coaching in 2022. That's just how I feel."

He also revealed Tuesday that he reached out to former quarterback and current NBC analyst Drew Brees prior to his announcement and confirmed that he contacted him during the season, when both Taysom Hill and Trevor Siemian landed on the COVID-19 list ahead of a December matchup with the Miami Dolphins.

"I spoke to [Brees] at length last night about this decision for the first time and he was fantastic," he told reporters. "And I did call him during the season and we discussed him coming back. And I think both of us agreed, based on our lineup versus Miami it was a good thing he stayed [with NBC] and didn't come."

Ian Book instead started that game, a 20-3 loss that saw the backup quarterback sacked eight times. 

As for his rooting interest in the current NFL playoffs, Payton apparently will be pulling for anyone playing the Los Angeles Rams:

Payton, 58, spent 15 seasons as head coach of the Saints, registering a 152-89 record. He led the team to the playoffs nine times and a title in the 2009 season. Outside of the season he missed in 2012 after the NFL suspended him the entire year for the Bountygate scandal, the good times far outweighed the bad during his tenure.

Before Payton, the Saints had won just one playoff game in the history of the franchise, dating back to 1967, and had only reached the playoffs five times. His stretch as head coach was easily the best since the Saints' inception, turning a team that had been nicknamed the Aints into a perennial contender. 

"Thank you for giving me this opportunity to be your head coach for 16 years," Payton said to fans of the team at his press conference Tuesday. "I appreciate each and every one of them. And so, thank you for sticking with us in the good times and the tough times. They've been outstanding. And so it's really that feeling of being grateful for having a chance to have been a part of this organization and coach for them."

The New Orleans Saints suddenly find themselves in the market for a new head coach. 

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported on Tuesday that Sean Payton informed Saints ownership he is stepping down. 

Rapaport added Saints defensive coordinator Dennis Allen, who has been with the team since 2015, is considered the leading candidate to replace Payton. Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn is also expected to interview for the job.

Payton has been one of the NFL's best head coaches since being hired by the Saints in 2006. 

Allen was one of Payton's top lieutenants for the past seven seasons. The 49-year-old was originally hired as a senior defensive assistant in 2015, but he took over as defensive coordinator midway through the season when Rob Ryan was fired. 

The Saints have had a top-eight defense by Football Outsiders' DVOA in each of the past five seasons, including the No. 3 unit in 2021. They have finished in the top five in points allowed per game each of the past two seasons. 

Allen is already being considered for other head-coaching vacancies this offseason. 

Per Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football, the Chicago Bears will interview Allen sometime this week. 

Glenn just finished his first season as Lions defensive coordinator under head coach Dan Campbell. He worked on Payton's staff as defensive backs coach from 2016-20. 

As a player, Glenn's final season was with the Saints in 2008. He only appeared in four games because of an ankle injury. 

During Payton's tenure as head coach, the Saints made it to the playoffs nine times and won seven division titles. He led them to the franchise's only championship to date when they defeated the Indianapolis Colts 31-17 in Super Bowl XLIV in 2009. 

The Saints finished the 2021 season with a 9-8 record.    

The New Orleans find themselves behind the competition after joining the NFL's coaching carousel Tuesday.

Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football reported longtime head coach Sean Payton is retiring. Not only do the Saints have to replace the greatest coach in franchise history, but their search also begins as other teams with vacancies have already interviewed multiple candidates.

Defensive coordinator Dennis Allen, who has spoken with the Chicago Bears, is an obvious possibility to succeed Payton. As questions surrounded Payton's future, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported Sunday that Allen "would be a top candidate to take over."

If New Orleans has to look outside the organization, then any of the usual suspects could emerge as a target: Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll, Dallas Cowboys offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores and Green Bay Packers offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett.

With their team's season over, Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich and defensive coordinator Todd Bowles would be free to interview as well.

The franchise's precarious position could work against general manager Mickey Loomis, though.

For years, Loomis adeptly kicked the can down the road so the Saints could remain under the salary cap while retaining most of their best players or adding reinforcements. The trouble with that approach is that the bill comes due sooner or later.

Spotrac projects New Orleans to be $71.6 million over the salary cap for 2022. Payton's departure could foreshadow a difficult offseason.

The search for a head coach might run in tandem with the search for a new starting quarterback.

Jameis Winston is due to be a free agent, and his production in seven games before suffering a torn ACL (1,170 passing yards, 14 touchdowns, three interceptions and a 59.0 percent completion rate) wasn't definitive about whether he could be the long-term solution. Taysom Hill isn't the answer either after attempting just 134 passes in 2021.

Under Payton, the Saints made nine trips to the playoffs, winning Super Bowl XLIV and collecting four straight NFC South titles from 2017 to 2020. He transformed an organization that had rarely enjoyed on-field success since its inception in 1967.

Now, a major rebuild could be in store.

Payton may be stepping down with the knowledge that Allen will take his place, ensuring continuity within the coaching staff.

Allen aside, potential candidates might not be keen to run a team with such a murky outlook.

In a shocking move, Sean Payton is stepping down as head coach of the New Orleans Saints, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. 

Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football reported he's retiring altogether.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler polled NFL executives and reported Jan. 18 that "several well-informed people brought up" Payton as a candidate to become a television analyst in the near future. This move would open up that avenue.

Payton has been the Saints head coach since 2006, helping turn the franchise into one of the NFL's best during his tenure. He led the team to its first Super Bowl title in the 2009 season with a 31-17 victory over the Indianapolis Colts. 

An accomplished offensive coach, Payton's partnership with quarterback Drew Brees led to the Saints posting historic numbers. Brees retired from the NFL after the 2020 season as the league's all-time leader in passing yards. (That mark has since been passed by Tom Brady.)

After a rough three-year stretch from 2014 to '16, Payton made the Saints into one of the most dominant teams in the NFC. They had a streak of four consecutive NFC South titles from 2017 to '20. 

The 2021 season was arguably one of Payton's best coaching jobs. It was his first season without Brees at quarterback, yet he still had the Saints in playoff contention until the final week of the regular season with a 9-8 record. 

The Saints have consistently had one of the NFL's best rosters over the past five years. Their defense was an elite unit in 2021, finishing fourth in points allowed per game (19.7). 

Payton leaves behind a successful, albeit complicated, legacy with the Saints. His best moment was leading the franchise during that Super Bowl run, but he was also suspended for the entire 2012 season stemming from his role in the Bountygate scandal.

Even with that suspension on his resume, Payton is the longest-tenured head coach in Saints history. He is the franchise's all-time leader in games coached (241), wins (151), playoff games (17) and playoff wins (nine). 

New Orleans Saints owner Gayle Benson said Monday she doesn't know if Sean Payton intends to remain the team's head coach moving forward.

"We don't know. You know, who knows?" she told reporters. "We'll find out soon enough I guess. I don't think any of us know. But he'll let us know soon enough."

On Sunday, Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network reported: "Sources say that Payton, who has three years left on his contract, has not committed to returning to coach for another season in New Orleans. He has not yet informed the organization for whom he's coached since 2006 that he will definitely return."

Per Rapoport, Payton went on vacation and went "dark on several people close to him."

As for his future, Rapoport noted that if Payton did leave the Saints, it would be a "mini-retirement to recharge for a year" and that he would likely look to come back to football with a different organization after that hiatus. 

Losing Payton would be a huge blow for the Saints. The 58-year-old has spent 15 of the past 16 seasons as the team's head coach—he was suspended for the entirety of the 2012 campaign as a result of the NFL's Bountygate investigation—and has accumulated a 152-98 record in that time. 

He's led the Saints to the playoffs nine times and a Super Bowl title in the 2009 season. 

As for a potential replacement, Rapoport reported that defensive coordinator Dennis Allen "would be a top candidate to take over, sources say, but New Orleans would have to conduct a complete search to replace Payton."

In the interim, the Saints remain in a holding pattern as Payton decides his future.