Sean Payton is slated to work in television this season, but the former longtime New Orleans Saints head coach may return to the sidelines in the future.
If he does have interest in getting back into coaching, Payton will be of interest to several teams. According to a new report from Michael McCarthy of Front Office Sports, the Carolina Panthers would be one of those organizations.
McCarthy reported Thursday that the Panthers are willing to wait a year while Payton explores the TV booth. If they truly intend to hire Payton in 2023, Carolina will have to pay a handsome price for the onetime Super Bowl-winning coach.
Payton is under contract with the Saints through 2024, so any team bringing him on would owe New Orleans substantial compensation. There’s also the question of whether or not Payton would even be interested in Carolina.
All of this has been discussed widely on NFL Twitter since McCarthy’s report dropped this afternoon.
Matt Rhule is heading into his third season as head coach of the Panthers, but is on the hot seat after two losing campaigns.
Payton, 58, meanwhile, reportedly has offers to work for Amazon and FOX Sports this fall.
Other teams that are said to possibly be interested in acquiring Payton to coach include the Dallas Cowboys and Miami Dolphins.