places. Not a,
not a traditional Sports Outlet, but a sports media
Outlet, front office sports.com, Michael McCarthy
reported that, the Panthers are eyeing.
Sean Payton for 2023. Now there's a lot that would have
to happen to take it from eyeing
to hiring
including the Saints being willing to de facto trade,
Sean, Payton, to a division rival, right?
You don't have to,
you don't have to release his rights for anyone. And it's not
a trade per se, but what happens is
team approaches the Saints, like the Dolphins did Dolphins
admit that they made this phone call team. Approaches
the Saints. What?
Compensation be.
If we were to try to hire
the guy who's under contract with you. They work out
the compensation.
Then they approach the coach they get the deal done. And
the reality is all that stuff happens behind the scenes.
Everybody knows before it even starts that the new team and
the coach are going to work out a deal,
but you still have to work out the compensation and the Saints
could say, no freaking way. Are we letting
Sean Payton, coach the Panthers? No way. No, how never?
So that's that's the The first big hurdle. Yeah. Right there
hurdle, right? Yeah,
but but what happened was
the Panthers issued a statement that wasn't
like 100%. Like we have a coach. This is ridiculous. It
was like we would.
It was just a weird phrasing that made me think boy, if
I was Matt rule, I would I would like a little. I would like
something a little stronger than what they said,
because it wasn't the kind of
loud voice full-throated.
This is ridiculous kind of
And I would have expected from the Panthers because I would
look at it. If I'm the Panthers and say this is ridiculous,
especially since we're a year away from even having
the conversation. So, we say all that Chris because Matt rule
coach of the Panthers was inevitably asked about it
over the weekend at the rookie minicamp. Here is what rule had
to say about the report on
Sean, Payton being awed by the Panthers for 2023
with regards to that report. You know, I mean, you know
first I heard of it Dave called me and told me that, you know,
that it was going to come. I'm out, you know, that known
someone that they had called him and
there was nothing to it.
You know, I know Dave Tepper well enough to believe that he
wouldn't be talking to another coach right now,
you know,
you know, he came to my house two and a half years ago. He
told me that this was a five-year rebuild me. That
that's what he said to me and he convinced me then
to come be a part of it with them and build it with them. And if
you know,
we're not where we want to be and
I don't think it's going to take five years. I don't want
it to take five years, but those are the He said to me.
And so,
you know, I'm looking forward to
taking a step this year. I like our football team. I like
the way that we're working. I like this draft
and I have a lot of faith in the people in this building
the way everyone's working. And I certainly have a lot of faith
in Dave. That's why I left it. I mean, I left the great job
with people that I loved and cared about
to come here because I believed in his
long-term Vision to get this thing done. And so,
you know, do I want stories like that out there?
Probably not, but at the same time, I also know A lot of
people lose their Edge when a great stories about you. So I'm
going to continue this to grind and work and
you know, see where things fall.
Hola reflection and pondering in that, answer by
Matt Rule. And the reality is
owners are always thinking multiple moves on
the chessboard, what happens if things don't work out this
year. Where do we go from here? Not that David Tepper, would
have already spoken to Sean, Payton, right? We know that
we know enough about the NFL Chris that
Yeah,
a lot of times that I was told by somebody in the league
office, 70 to 80% of the time, when a coach is fired.
The owner knows who's going to be hired. Next. That's one of
the right challenge is when it comes to having open and
diverse and inclusive searches, if
70 to 80% of the time, you already know you're going to
hire what's the point of doing a search? What's the point of
begging these owners to take their time? If they already
know who they're going to hire?
I remember vividly going into the
2009 season. I think it was
horse kept secret. The NFL.
Daniel Snyder was going to fire Jim Zorn and hire Mike,
Shanahan. Yeah, right mean. Everybody knew everybody knew.
Yeah, that's what he did.
But
I just don't see Sean Payton going to Carolina. I think that
from Sean Payton's perspective. It's good to have
this Buzz that's out there. But
everybody thinks he's going to the Cowboys. It's Cowboys or
bust. He's not going to go to the Panthers. Not going to go
to a rebuild situation. He's going to go to Place where he
thinks he can win sooner rather than later.
Yeah, I mean listen, I'm not going to cancel anything out.
And as you've heard me say and I think you see a tool to
a degree. There is some Talent on this Carolina roster.
There is now like like,
all right. I feel like this is like we could just play fill in
the blank put coach who might have an ass that's hot on
a seat this year. And then
we can just put in.
Oh wait, Sean Payton might go there. I mean Sean Payton is
going to be we're going to be talking about Sean. All season
long. Every team that is even thinking about making a move or
firing a coach
Sean. Everyone's going to bring up Sean Payton
everybody. I mean we are, you are at why wouldn't you?
He's he's one of the great coaches of all time. He's the
one of the greatest offense of mines in the history of football
and he's not like
older crazy or anything here.
He just taking some time off. So to me he will be the hottest
commodity in the sport. When we get towards the end of
the season and talk about, you know, Replacements and it's
just going to be about what he chooses and where he,
you know, when he wants to come back, but
I think we're going to hear a lot of chatter about Sean
Payton with some of these teams who might be looking to make
a move at the head coach position.
There. Also has to be a willingness by the Saints to do
business with whoever it is that ultimately wants to hire
Sean, Payton, and I know
the Saints officially
weren't interested in trading. Actor. Sean Payton. Now, right.
That was after it all was blown up by the Brian. Floors
lawsuit. Anyway,
I think if push comes to shove Sean, Payton finds a way
to Prevail upon
ownership GM. Mickey Loomis, whoever
and you know, what if all I was felt I was thinking of this
the other day,
if all else fails because this whole thing arises from
the fact that the Saints still have Sean, Payton under contract.
You could pull a Brett Favre and just come back. Fine,
you're not going to release me. You're not going to trade my
rights.
You got a head? Coach. Will you got two head coaches? Now
because I'm back baby. Yeah, with me. Yeah, I think really
wanted to be an ass about. Right. You could do that.
Right? I do it almost files
under the category of like we talked about with like
the disgruntled player a little bit, right? Or the you know,
that kind of thing like know what are you gonna do? If he
says he wants to come back or whatever. He doesn't want to be
there. Like what what
you know, there's just at some point. They're just going to
go. Okay, fine. Just Shawn doesn't want to be here. He
wants to go somewhere else.
Team, whatever. Just give us something respectable for
the rights of Sean pain, then we'll call it a day and see you
later. And yeah, that's what I was led to believe. There was
already those conversations
from what I had heard, you know, with the Saints in
the Dolphins to a degree, you know, so
we'll see where it goes. It doesn't get to the point where
the Dolphins officially make the call, right to it. Yeah,
unless they know, right, they're not wasting their time.
This wasn't
a fishing Expedition
by Stephen, Ross and Company.
Why they knew what they were going to be able to do.
They knew what they wanted to do.
That's why the Dolphins admitting when Chris Greer,
the GM of the Dolphins admitted on the record at the combine that
that call was made. That's when
the whole story crystallized do and again, it continues to be
overlooked by so many people in sports media because I guess
they don't want to give us credit Chris because we've been
on it since the end of February and ESPN. Nothing. And if I'm
Network nothing
and there's plenty, the threads are out there everywhere.
I mean, I know somebody at ESPN and NFL Network who know that
this is a true story. They just, I don't know, they don't
report it. So, I don't know what? Well it'll cut week one.
Yeah, Sunday Splash Report Week 1
but I agree with you. I think Payton will be back
in 2023
and I'm surprised he hasn't taken a job yet
with fox or Amazon. It makes things even more, right? Well,
there's been this sense that it's coming. It's coming. It's
coming right? Maybe he's just taking the time. What's
the rush?
Don't need to do it until we quell. One
maybe it's a leverage play.
Can't fault him for that between Fox and Amazon.
Who's going to pay me more?
Where do I get the best spot? Where do I best position myself
to have that that a list opportunity? Because he needs
to be in the public eye
all season long.
I think even if he's not, he's still going to be
the hottest candidate going. Agreed agree. I think we can do
either. Doesn't have to, he doesn't have to and if he's
really thinking about coming back. Yeah, maybe we don't do
the TV thing.
Maybe you skip the TV. Exactly, exactly. That's what I was
thinking Mike. I don't see when you started going down that
road and you were like, it's kind of funny. He hasn't signed
on somewhere
to me. That was more of like a. Uh, that's because he's just
gonna sit back and be good boy, and, you know, not say anything
about any coaches or do anything, because
he's going to be right back in the thick of things next year.
And he doesn't want to be there looking like Johnny expert,
evaluating every coach and picking them apart and maybe
having talking about some assistant that he wants to hire
and his staff next year and says something. He doesn't let
that
System doesn't like whatever.
I certainly could see that. Being part of this thought it
because you're right. I don't think he's so big. He does not
need to be in the public eye. He's been so good for so long.
He could take a year off, totally obscure, and come back
and everybody be like, yes. We
got Sean Payton.
I do think he's smart enough
to find ways to be compelling
critical, right? Entertaining.
Yeah. Without the Jon Gruden default of. I'm just going to
praise everyone and everything. Went to bite my tongue, right?
I'm going to smile
and I'm going to say everything is awesome. And everyone is
great. So I don't burn any Bridges. I think Sean Payton.
Whereas Jon Gruden refused to even enter the mine field.
I think. Sean Payton is smart enough
to tiptoe through
And find a way to be good and compelling
and informative without being this.
And I remember how stunned I was,
because I'm thinking. All right, we got Chuckie. Let's
go. This is going to be awesome. There's going to be
that guy. That's always scowling on the sidelines,
always pissed off about something. We're going to have
him in the booth. He's going to be as good as John Madden, if
not better.
Because remember he started
the first year. After John Madden, retired and said, this
is different.
It's a different dynamic as in personality, but it's going to
Chuck in, it's going to be great. It's like, they give him
a lobotomy. What do they do to him?
I remember thinking that like everybody but you know what?
They do to Jon Gruden. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Let's see it.
Anything other than everything is great and everybody's
awesome. And this guy's great and that guy's great. And
so Peyton would find a way to be good,
but we may be onto something here.
Maybe he realizes. If I am coming back next year.
I don't need ya.
A seat at a table somewhere and it's only going to get in
the way of what it is. And I'm trying to do. Yeah.
Agreed. I think that that could be it. He just plays it low-key
for a year. So what, you know, take a deep breath, you know,
don't don't have any obligations
kind of figure out, maybe self Scout thyself, a little bit,
what you want to do, what maybe you want to change, coaching
wise, you start to slowly, think about coaches, you want
to put together for your staff. All of that type of stuff.
I wouldn't be shocked.
Sean, Payton take that route and just kind of
lay back and evaluate the landscape of the NFL
and try to figure out, you know, what his next move is.
I certainly when I'm with you, Dallas seems to be
the one that everybody look at but
I don't just pin it to that. I feel like
he's, he's too much of a football coach to be out too
long to where I think he's gonna want to get in. And if
Dallas doesn't present itself. He'll get into the next best
situation or whatever the one he's deems, the next best
situation
and to the extent that he kind of wanted to
take a step back this year because the guy
the guy works his ass off. He's in the Bill Belichick category.
He's not on the golf course, he's not semi-retired. He's
busting his ass and grinding and grinding and grinding,
always looking for any Edge, always looking for anything,
putting in hours, and hours,
and hours. For that one, little
flicker of a possibility
that could make a difference
in a game as each game approaches. So,
if you're trying to take a break,
And you're going to work in TV.
There's a certain amount of time. You're going to have to
put in to prepare yourself to be good in TV. You can't just
show up, say, hey who's on tonight, and just fly by
the seat of your pants.
So, whatever work you would put in there is taking away time
from the work. You would be putting in to lay
the foundation so you can come back and hit the ground running next
year. I think that now that I don't know, any of this
we are. This is speculation. Drew. This is not reporting.
But
how many months have gone by 3-4 months? I think maybe he's
starting to realize how if I want to do this next year. Next
year is going to be here before. You know it.
I better get to work
thinking about, who my staff's going to be. I left my staff.
I left my staff in New Orleans. Yeah. I got to start from
scratch, a clear. I'm gonna do here, right? How, you know,
what? Yeah.
So, yeah. Now, you're trying to
kind of back channel, do that and December and you're going,
oh damn, wait, I gotta go to studio and get this ready and
I am in the I certainly could see that being part of it.
And I know he has said nothing though to suggest he's not
going to work in TV. If anything, anytime he talks
about, I think most recently was on Morton Anderson's
podcast, the Great Dane podcast. That's great, said
something along the lines of an announcements coming soon
between Amazon and fox. And what this is
It's upfront season where the Network's meet with
the advertisers and they like to be able to say here's our lineup.
So, you know, if Fox is going to have Sean, Payton did.
Probably kind of like to be able to say
we got Sean Payton. This one of the reasons why Tom Brady was
announced last week. A lot of buzz, you want to have
the advertisers busting their wallets wide open
to buy from you.
And so whether it's Amazon, whether it's Fox, whether to
ever they'd kind of like to know, kind of like to know
what's going on by now, even though Sean may be thinking,
I don't need to know until Week 1.
The Network's would probably like to get this resolved, Asaf
pee.