It has been widely speculated for quite some time now that Sean Payton will return to head coaching after spending the last season as an analyst for Fox. There have been many reports as to which team has the best chance to land the currently retired head coach. The Cowboys were the longtime favorite for speculation, but other teams such as the Raiders and the Broncos have also gotten into the mix. Regardless of who wants to pay Sean Payton the big bag, they are going to have to make a deal with the Saints first.

Dallas Cowboys v New Orleans Saints
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The Saints still have the rights to Payton’s contract because he decided to retire and was not fired. Payton’s contract stands with the Saints until 2024, so no team can sign Payton before 2024 unless they acquire his contract rights from the Saints. The idea of the Saints using Payotn’s contract as trade leverage has been highly speculated by many experts around the league. The Saints don’t have a first-round pick in this year’s upcoming draft so many speculate that the price for Payton’s contract is a first-round draft pick at minimum. Now, the Saints have laid out their price for Sean Payton and it’s as expected.

The Saints have stated that they are looking for a first-round pick in exchange for Sean Payton’s contract. If I were the Saints, I see this as best case scenario because I would look to start a bidding war. With reports of multiple teams showing heavy interest in Payton, the Saints could begin a bidding war to see who is willing to offer them the most for Payton’s rights. With that being said, Payton still has to agree to sign with the team who buys out his rights so we have to make sure the highest bidder is also someone Payton is willing to coach for.

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