Sean Payton Considered Return to Buccaneers Rival Before Trade to Broncos
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers got some bad news when quarterback Tom Brady decided to call it a career and retire following his worst season as an NFL starter.
But it turns out the Bucs almost got even more bad news because Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton considered a return to the New Orleans Saints before ultimately being traded to the AFC West.
"Yeah, and look it's a trickier (situation) because it involves someone that I've hired," Payton said on a Sirius XM interview, referring to current Saints head coach Dennis Allen when asked if there was ever a thought about returning to the team. "And we've worked together on two different stints."
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Payton doesn't divulge in the interview clip just how close he was to returning to New Orleans, but he does reveal some interesting insight into another team in the NFL that was interested in his services, albeit a little prematurely.
"Everyone's waiting to see what happens in Washington, and there was some interest from some potential ownership groups that are going to be bidding on - that currently have bid on that team - that were getting ahead of the game saying, 'Hey, if we get awarded this team, would you?'," Payton said. "And that's a place that's had great tradition...my whole NFL career prior to New Orleans was NFC East...that was a special place (and) it'll come back."
Payton spent his time as a quarterbacks coach, offensive coordinator, and assistant head coach with the Philadelphia Eagles, New York Giants, and Dallas Cowboys prior to getting his head coaching position with the Saints.
To hear his interest in returning to the division to coach with the last team in that division he's yet to work for is intriguing, but more so is the consideration he had for returning to the NFC South.
Fortunately for Tampa Bay and its fans, we won't have to see that happen.
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But to know the winter of Brady's departure was anywhere close to being coupled with the return of Payton to the bayou is enough to make any Buccaneers fan long for the days of 2020 - well, football days.
Find David Harrison on Twitter @DHarrison82
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