If the Indianapolis Colts indeed clean house at season’s end, New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton may be one step closer to becoming one of the hottest head coaching candidates in next year’s market:
#Saints coach Sean Payton's contract has a "change of control" clause, per 3 sources. If Tom Benson is not in charge, he could be free
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 8, 2015
If Sean Payton wanted to be a coaching free agent after this year, I'm told the #Saints would be inclined to let him out of his contract.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 8, 2015
Despite his team’s so-so season at 4-4, the 51 year old Payton is still considered one of the brightest offensive minds in all of football. Yes, he’s had the luxury of having star quarterback Drew Brees. Yet during his 9 seasons as Saints head coach, he’s compiled a 84-52 record (.618) while consistently featuring among one of the league’s most prolific offenses.
Oct 25, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton adjusts his visor moments before the start of their game against Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas J. Russo-USA TODAY Sports
Payton has a winning pedigree, as his Saints have made the playoffs in 5 of their last 8 seasons. Of course, his biggest coaching achievement came in 2009 when his Saints upset our very own Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl XLIV–not to bring up a still sore subject.
With a 36 year old Brees starting to approach the twilight of his career, it seems reasonably possible that Payton could look to trade in his chips for a younger quarterback like Andrew Luck to coach for long-term success in an attempt to build another Super Bowl champion.
The Colts may happily oblige, as Luck has clearly regressed this season.
The 4th-year quarterback has thrown a league-leading 12 interceptions while boasting a subpar passing rating of 71.6–which is the second worst among all qualified starting quarterbacks as only recently released Houston Texans quarterback Ryan Mallett has been worse.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter earlier this season, the Colts have actually been linked as a potential suitor for Payton among league circles, should he actually become available. That means there’s actually some smoke to this speculated fire.
First and foremost, owner Jim Irsay has to find an offensive minded head coach, who can successfully develop Luck and maximize his special talents and ability. Payton would seem to accurately fit that bill, judging from his proven track record with the Saints and in developing Brees into an elite quarterback.
As a former quarterback himself–having played for Eastern Illinois and later stops in the Arena Football League and CFL, Payton has a great familiarity with quarterbacks and can help Luck better understand the nuances of the position.
Prior to accepting the Saints head coaching vacancy, Payton was also the quarterback’s coach for the Philadelphia Eagles (’97-98), New York Giants (’99), and Dallas Cowboys (’03-05)–further demonstrating his quarterback expertise.
It’s worth noting that in Payton’s 9 seasons with the Saints, he’s boasted a Top 10 scoring offense (ppg) and as well as a Top 5 offense in offensive yards (ypg) in 8 of his 9 seasons respectively as head coach:
That being said, there’s still a lot of football left to be played this season. However, should the Colts continue to struggle, Payton would figure to be a highly sought after head coaching candidate for the team all things considered.
On Sunday, he reportedly came one step closer to that becoming an actual reality.