Finally, some movement on the Sean Payton front. Nola.com’s Jeff Duncan reports that Payton has scheduled a second interview with Denver Broncos ownership as they search for a new head coach to team up with franchise quarterback Russell Wilson. Payton met in person with Broncos brass as soon as NFL rules allowed them to sit down with him last week, and he’s made it to their second round of interviews as they whittle down the list of candidates.
That’s good news for New Orleans Saints fans who are hoping Payton accepts a new job and gets traded to a new team this offseason. The Saints don’t have a first round pick in the 2023 draft after trading it to the Philadelphia Eagles last year; Denver does have a first rounder they could trade, coming to them from the San Francisco 49ers, which could form the foundation of a package of picks to exchange for Payton’s services.
But Payton needs to accept a job for a trade to materialize. He’s already met with the Carolina Panthers and Houston Texans in addition to the Broncos, so he has options, even if each of them have some warts and areas of concern. Wilson is coming off of the worst year of his career and it would take some work to get him back on his feet. So it’s a good thing Payton has already laid out a plan for coaching him up. Hopefully this situation resolves itself soon, one way or another, so we can shift focus back to the Saints instead of their former employees.
Update: Duncan clarified that Payton plans to fly to Denver on Wednesday, Jan. 25 with the expectation of meeting with Broncos executives that evening or on Thursday, but that he has not finalized a time.
