Earlier in the offseason, there were numerous reports about the Miami Dolphins’ interest in former New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton to take over the same role in South Florida. Some had even gone so far as to claim that Miami offered him a five-year contract worth $100 million.
However, according to a source close to the situation that spoke to the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson, there wasn’t a ton of traction for the move to be made this offseason.
“He was flattered by Miami’s interest in him to become their coach this season but also preferred to take a break from coaching in 2022,” the source said.
Regarding the contract offer, Jackson also wrote that a team source insisted that the “offer was never made because the Dolphins were never granted permission by the Saints to speak with him after they requested permission, and because the Dolphins did not want to do anything that could result in tampering charges and loss of draft picks.”
If Brian Flores’ accusations regarding the alleged recruiting of Tom Brady back in 2020 are to be believed, the Dolphins may be willing to risk the tampering charges in some instances.
However, if Miami did follow the rules and didn’t speak to Payton because he was under contract, would Miami have pulled the trigger and brought him in with permission?
The logical mind seems would probably lean towards yes. He was an experienced coach who helped bring New Orleans to the postseason most years, winning a Super Bowl during his tenure. He’s also an offensive-minded leader who isn’t old enough that there would be major questions about retirement in the near future.
That’s just not how it happened. Miami ended up hiring Mike McDaniel, and it does seem like they’re happy with their decision. However, if things don’t go right in 2022, there are going to be people asking if the Dolphins should bring in Payton after his year off.
According to Jackson’s source, “The Dolphins will have at least a chance next spring if they make a coaching change and again pursue Payton.”
What is Payton looking for in his next gig?
“Warm weather, a roster good enough to compete and most importantly, control over personnel decisions,” the source said. “Having a good quarterback would be helpful but that isn’t the No. 1 or No. 2 factor… On a much lower scale, he also would prefer to work in a market where he could golf some, though his work ethic and long hours largely limit those opportunities to the offseason.”
Those all seem like things that could happen in Miami, but again, for the team to fire a coach after one season, things would have to be a disaster in 2022. Considering what the Dolphins are dealing with from their last firing, they probably don’t want to become a story like that in back-to-back offseasons.
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