Sean Payton is one of the hottest names on the market for teams looking for a new head coach, as four teams have reportedly requested to interview the former Saints coach. On Monday, Payton confirmed interest from three of those teams.
While appearing on The Herd with Colin Cowherd, Payton confirmed he will begin interviewing teams once he is eligible on Tuesday. The veteran head coach specifically mentioned he will speak with the Broncos, Panthers and Texans at various points over the next week. Notably, Payton didn’t mention the Cardinals at any point in the interview, the only other team to request an interview.
Payton is under contract through 2024, which means any team that wants to hire him needs to work out a deal with the Saints. That cost would likely be more this year than if any team tries to hire him next year.
For compensation, Payton speculated that it would cost a “mid or later first-round pick” to acquire his rights from New Orleans. Houston owns picks Nos. 2 and 12 and Carolina has pick No. 9, while Denver doesn’t have its own pick but does own the 49ers first which will fall in the late 20s.
As for what he is looking for in a team, Payton called ownership stability “critical” while also acknowledging that these teams most likely have issues at quarterback, which is why they are in the head coaching market.
