Jay Glazer: Sean Payton Considering Retirement

FOX's Jay Glazer spoke to 105.3 The Fan in Dallas on Monday afternoon, and gave a little bit more insight on Saints head coach Sean Payton.

John Hendrix | Jan 24, 2022

The Sean Payton rumors are picking up more steam, and we got a little bit more insight from FOX's Jay Glazer on Monday afternoon. In an interview on GBag Nation on Dallas' 105.3 The Fan with Gavin Dawson, Jeff Cavanaugh, and Bryan Broaddus, Glazer spoke a bit about what he knows regarding the Saints head coach, which is that he's considering retirement.

"Sean (Payton) changes his mind every two seconds. We talk about it a lot. It's why I haven't reported anything because he changes his mind like every two minutes," Glazer said.

“But that’s also why I said two weeks ago on FOX NFL Sunday during the coaching carousel was that there could be a coach or two step away just because of these last two years of COVID, it’s taken its toll on people.”

Glazer said that Payton keeps going back and forth, that he was in Cabo the last couple of weeks, and that he has a meeting with owner Gayle Benson again in the early part of the week.

Payton's Legacy in New Orleans

Payton led the Saints to their first ever Super Bowl Trophy, and he's the winningest coach in franchise history.

Place Among NFL Coaches

USATSI_17443316 — Jan 2, 2022; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton claps during pregame warm ups before their game against the Carolina Panthers at the Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports

Payton's 152-89 is good for 22nd All-Time, and another season could get him into the Top 15 conversation.

Challenging Season

USATSI_17165378_168388561_lowres — Nov 14, 2021; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton after a call by the officials during the second half against the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

Payton had to use four different quarterbacks in 2021 and had 58 different starters in the lineup.

Payton's Players

USATSI_16481188_168389760_lowres — Jul 30, 2021; Metairie, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton looks on during a New Orleans Saints training camp session at the New Orleans Saints Training Facility. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

Payton commands a ton of respect in the locker room, and his players love him. That absence would be felt tremendously.

Broadcast Booth

Oct 6, 2019; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton stands during the National Anthem with team owner Gayle Benson (middle left) and team president Dennis Lauscha (middle right) before a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports

Payton's drawing a lot of interest by TV networks, so a year off would likely see him move there.

Sean Payton is under contract through 2026, and a team would have to trade for him. However, that doesn't seem like it's on the table, according to Glazer. Benson was asked earlier about his future, to which she said that she didn't know and that we'll find out soon enough. Payton was also at the team facility on Monday afternoon, according to NewOrleans.Football's Nick Underhill.

Glazer added, "I only like to report things I know, for a fact, and he may change his mind five times per conversation."

So, this seems like it's a fluid situation with a lot of intrigue. Payton certainly had to overcome a lot last season coaching. The NFL's COVID protocols were strenuous enough, and then having to deal with an incredible amount of different starters during the season was certainly difficult.

The Senior Bowl is next week, and we would assume Payton would be there alongside Mickey Loomis and Jeff Ireland at minimum. However, this week will tell us everything we need to know and answer a lot of questions regarding the team's future. Dennis Allen could be a replacement for Payton, but they'd certainly have to interview and figure out which direction to go.

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Published Jan 24, 2022

JOHN HENDRIX

I officially started covering the New Orleans Saints & other NFL topics in 2011. My work has been featured on various outlets over the years. I worked closely with Skyhorse Publishing in Fall 2018 to update the book, Tales From the New Orleans Saints Sidelines, which filled in all Saints material from the 2013-2017 seasons. Prior to joining Saints News Network, I served as the Managing Editor of SB Nation's Canal Street Chronicles for 3.5 years, and before that with FanSided's Who Dat Dish as the Managing Editor for several years. I have also had experiences of being a freelance Saints reporter for The Sun Herald in Biloxi, MS and a contributing writer for WDSU, a local NBC TV station in New Orleans. I have appeared on a vast amount of TV and Radio shows, both nationally and locally. For tips, comments, or suggestions, please contact me at johnhendrix@saintsnews.net