Report: Sean Payton Piecing Together 'All-Star Staff'; Could Cardinals Be Possibility?
The Arizona Cardinals just might be in the market for a new head coach.
Kliff Kingsbury's seat was hot enough as is heading into Week 16's Sunday Night Football showdown with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. His team, yet again, failed to meet expectations.
With recent reports surfacing that he could potentially step down in the offseason, it appears as if either way Arizona may be in the market for a new leader.
As it turns out, Sean Payton is interested in returning to coaching in the NFL. There's been plenty of smoke in that aspect, but now he's reportedly taking the next step and assembling a staff that would include well-respect Vic Fangio as his defensive coordinator.
Getting Payton, who still has his contract rights with the Saints, won't be easy according to Adam Schefter:
"Payton is regarded as the top available head-coaching candidate, and he will not come cheaply," Schefter said. "Any team that wants to hire the former New Orleans Saints head coach will have to make Payton one of the game's highest-paid coaches, and also compensate New Orleans with a draft pick or multiple picks, according to sources."
Payton reportedly wants to return to "the right situation", as the Super Bowl champion coach has his eyes set on either job in Los Angeles with the Rams or Chargers.
Here's what All Cardinals has heard:
- Payton really, really likes the Chargers job. We can't blame him - Justin Herbert, a sick stadium that's in Los Angeles on top of a talented team is a good gig. However, there are questions around the league on if the Chargers would fire current coach Brandon Staley if they made the playoffs. They're currently 8-6.
- The Rams job may have potentially opened up, as some expected Sean McVay to step down if Matthew Stafford called it quits. With Stafford reportedly coming back for 2023, that also puts LA into question.
- Two other teams (Indianapolis and Carolina) have already gotten a head start on their coaching search for next season. Neither fit the "right situation" bill at this time.
- Other teams that could fire their coach (Houston, Denver) also aren't fits.
A report from CBS Sports NFL insider Jonathan Jones last week mentioned, "team owner Michael Bidwill was particularly active talking one on one with participants of last week's accelerator program, where 32 minority candidates across 28 clubs joined the league meetings in Texas to learn, shadow and network with NFL decision-makers."
Kingsbury on the hot seat? Check.
Bidwill looking at potential candidates? Check.
Sean Payton wanting to come back to the NFL? Check.
As far as the right situation goes in luring Payton in: The Cardinals are in a desirable location, have talent at each position group, a franchise quarterback signed to an extension for the future and what is likely to be a top-five pick in the upcoming NFL Draft.
From there, two questions remain: Would Bidwill (or whoever the GM is) want to give up capital to bring Payton on? And would Payton consider coming to Arizona?
We'll see on both ends, but things are brewing to be quite interesting down the final stretch of the regular season.
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