Adam Schefter Isn't Buying Sean Payton-to-Chargers Rumors; Are Cardinals in the Clear?

The Los Angeles Chargers' epic playoff collapse could spur change within the organization that could rival the Arizona Cardinals' pursuit of head coach Sean Payton.

The Arizona Cardinals hope to find their next head coach sooner rather than later after firing Kliff Kingsbury last Monday. 

Thus far, they've requested to interview four candidates: Vance Joseph, Brian Flores, DeMeco Ryans and Sean Payton. 

Payton is perhaps the most sought after name this offseason after the Super Bowl-winning coach retired from the New Orleans Saints after 2021 but now is interested in returning to the game. 

Here's the kicker: New Orleans - who still owns the rights to his contract for a couple more seasons - wants a first-round pick in exchange for his services. Payton also is looking at around $20 million annually for his salary. 

It's been an odd mix-and-match of Payton's wants/needs and teams who believe they'll be a good fit for him. The Cardinals are one of three teams to have been granted permission to interview him along with the Broncos and Texans. 

There seems to be a mutual interest from Payton according to various NFL insiders, as the Cardinals are considered by some to be the best open spot for his return. 

That may change here soon. 

In what's been deemed the league's worst-kept secret, Payton has extreme interest in the Los Angeles Chargers job should it become available. 

So when Los Angeles blew a three-score lead and became the first team in postseason history to lose with a +5 turnover differential on Saturday, the rumor mill spun at record pace. Head coach Brandon Staley already found himself on the hot seat prior to his team's meltdown, and last night did him no favors. 

With so much speculation, ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter says he doesn't believe Los Angeles will go after Payton even after the loss. 

"The Chargers went out of their way to address the fact that they had no plans to make any changes with Brandon Staley. Now they go and lose a game that was hard to process … There will be more questions about Brandon Staley, and it'll be up to the Chargers to address those," Schefter said. 

"I will say this: There's been a lot of speculation about Sean Payton in Los Angeles. It's hard to see this franchise with its history being as aggressive as it would need to be to go get Sean Payton … I don't know how realistic that is. It's hard to imagine a loss like this wouldn't result in some type of changes. It wouldn't necessarily mean Brandon Staley, they'll have to evaluate that." 

The full video can be found here:

Adam Schefter doesn’t think the Chargers will go after Sean Payton pic.twitter.com/BPuXyJPXNQ

— Kyle Odegard (@Kyle_Odegard) January 15, 2023

For good reason, a potential opening with the Chargers is attractive for Payton and any other candidate: They're a very talented team in a pristine location with a young franchise quarterback already proving his value. 

New Orleans' Jeff Duncan suggests LA's ownership would have to be out of character to make the drastic leap from Staley to Payton:

I see a lot of Sean Payton-to-the-Chargers speculation, and there's no doubt SP would love to coach a talent like Justin Herbert. But such a move would be out of character for the Spanos ownership family. Brandon Staley makes $4M a year. Payton would cost 4-to-5 times that much.

— Jeff Duncan (@JeffDuncan_) January 15, 2023

Of course in the NFL, you never truly have a feel for what could happen next. Yet some people in the know would apparently find it tough to believe Los Angeles would fire Staley and bring on Payton, helping clear some of the way for the Cardinals to get their guy. 

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