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It’s all but guaranteed at this point that former Super Winning winning Saints head coach is back in the league next season. The only questions that remain are where he’ll be and how much he’ll get paid.
According to reports from league insiders, four teams are interested in acquiring Payton’s services: the Denver Broncos, Arizona Cardinals, Houston Texans, and Carolina Panthers. And if they do desire to acquire Payton, it’s going to cost them, as reports indicate he’s looking for a contract that will pay him $20-25 million per year.
But can any teams in the NFL actually afford to pay him that much? Technically, they all can, as the NFL has no salary cap for coaches, meaning teams are free to spend whatever they’d like on the position. As noted by the ProFootballTalk, though, given that they’re owned by the two richest ownership groups in the league, the Broncos and the Panthers would theoretically have the best shot at Payton.
Not only will the team that lands Payton have to pay him in the neighborhood of $20 million per year, but they’ll have to compensate the New Orleans Saints, as Payton is still under contract with the team.
Still, seeing the impact that the likes of Brian Daboll has had on Daniel Jones and the New York Giants after just one season, perhaps the NFL is on its way to becoming a more coach-driven league. Just look at what Andy Reid has done in his decade in Kansas City: prior to his arrival, they were one of the worst franchises in the league, and now they’re heading into the weekend with the opportunity to qualify for their fifth-straight AFC championship game.
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