Dolphins Had $100 Million Offer Ready for Sean Payton, per Report

Former Saints coach Sean Payton reportedly had an offer on the table from another NFC franchise earlier this offseason that would have kept him in the NFL’s coaching ranks in 2022.

According to the Sun-Sentinel’s Dave Hyde, the Dolphins offered Sean Payton a five-year, $100 million deal to take over the job in Miami. The contract would have made Payton just the second coach in league history to break the $100 million barrier, joining Jon Gruden, who signed a 10-year, $100 million contract with the Raiders in 2018. 

However, Payton would have earned double the annual salary of Gruden, raking in approximately $20 million per year, according to Hyde.

The reported offer is just the latest notable piece of information to emerge about the Dolphins supposed plan to pursue Payton and Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady this offseason. According to a February report from ProFootballTalk’s Mike Florio, Miami asked New Orleans for permission to speak with Payton shortly after he announced his retirement. The Saints reportedly denied the request.

Payton himself shrugged off the rumors of his connection to the Dolphins when he was asked about the reports at the Zurich Classic celebrity shootout in April. However, he did admit that he knew of the interview request. 

“I have no clue about the Tampa Bay, Miami Dolphin, Tom Brady rumor,” Payton said, per Florio. “My understanding is that there was a request was put in or that intermediaries talked. I’m like the rest of you. I heard that story.”

In the same interview, Payton claimed that if he had coached in 2022, it would have been with the Saints.

“If I would have been ready to coach like this year, I would have stayed in New Orleans,” he said. “And so it’s nice to have someone interested and, yeah, that’s about it. Look, our focus on Tom Brady has been beating him, not joining him.”

Meanwhile, Brady had the chance to end the speculation about what could’ve been in Miami earlier this week. Instead, the Bucs quarterback, who retired briefly this offseason, gave an indirect answer to a question about joining the Dolphins in any capacity.

“I’ve had a lot of conversations with a lot of people, as I’ve had for the past three or four years in my career, about different opportunities when I’m done playing football. I kind of made a decision of what I’d like to do,” Brady said. “I’ll get to be in the game of football. … The most important thing is where I’m at now and what I hope to do for this team. That’s been my commitment, to this team and this organization.” 

Miami ultimately missed out on both player and coach. Brady returned to the Buccaneers where he plans to seek and eighth Super Bowl ring in his 23rd NFL season. 

Payton on the other hand is headed to broadcast booth. The former Saints coach will reportedly join the Fox Sports broadcast team for the 2022 season, according to Florio. It’s believed that Payton will serve as a fill-in for Jimmie Johnson on Fox’s NFL Sunday crew on weeks when Johnson is out.

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