The Arizona Cardinals tried to woo former New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton to be their next head coach, replacing Kliff Kingsbury.
However, he is now the head coach of the Denver Broncos.
So what was the difference?
According to Payton, it was, at least in part, the timing of the Broncos and their efforts to hire him.
Appearing on “Adams & Up” with Kay Adams, Payton explained why he ended up with the Broncos and not the Cardinals.
He explained he had a fantastic interview with the Cardinals. He spent seven hours with owner Michael Bidwill.
“Arizona was fantastic,” Payton said. “The interview was great.”
He had a connection to the team from his youth. He was a ballboy for the Cardinals when they were in St. Louis.
So what was it that swayed him to take the Broncos’ job?
Part of it was “a different fit in Denver.”
Part of it was how hard the Broncos went after him.
“I think my instincts were pushing me in a direction with Denver,” he explained. “When the process began at 9 a.m. LA time on the 17th (of January), that’s the first day I could interview. There they were. We spent 4 and a half hours then.”
The Broncos had everything lined up early to be able to speak with him the moment it was allowed.
The Cardinals got permission to speak with Payton, who was still under contract with the New Orleans Saints, but didn’t interview him until January 26.
The Cardinals were being deliberate in their process and cast a wide net, as owner Michael Bidwill described the process.
If Payton was their No. 1 target, they did not make it feel that way.
Other factors had to play a part — his contract demands, how much roster control he wanted and the draft compensation it would have taken to give the Saints to get the right to sign him to a contract.
But the Broncos wanted him, made sure he knew it and ultimately hired him.
It feels like it was a bit of a missed opportunity.
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