How many more teams could enter the Sean Payton sweepstakes? There’s a lot on the line for some squads in this weekend’s playoff games, and the New Orleans Saints could begin fielding calls from a variety of rival franchises if their postseason plans go awry.
It probably wouldn’t shock anyone if the Los Angeles Chargers or Dallas Cowboys got in the mix, given how much smoke has surrounded Payton’s links to both of those teams over the last few years. At the same time, there are some dark horses in the mix, too, like the Miami Dolphins (who were inflicted with heavy NFL sanctions for tampering with Payton before).
And if Sean McVay steps down as Los Angeles Rams coach, as seems to be in the forecast, aggressive-minded general manager Les Snead could give New Orleans a call. Some teams that are already working to fill vacancies appear to be out of the running, like the division-rival Carolina Panthers and chronically mismanaged Indianapolis Colts.
So if more teams do throw their hats in the ring, they might emerge from this group. Here’s what each of them has to work with in terms of draft capital, 2023 salary cap space, general manager, and their current coaching situation: