Just before the start of Sean Payton’s press conference on Wednesday afternoon, a report indicated that talks with the Saints had concluded with Payton set to return for a 10th season as the team’s head coach.
Payton confirmed that in the opening minutes of that press conference. He said he met with General Manager Mickey Loomis on each of the last three days and that he’s “not going anywhere” as long as the Saints want to have him as their head coach.
I understand the interest and skepticism, but this is where I plan on coaching,” Payton said. “I don’t envision myself coaching anywhere else.”
Payton said that he didn’t have any contact with another team in the last few days and pointed out that it would have had to come via the Saints rather than directly to him.
Payton thinks the “cart gets ahead of the horse a little bit” when it came to reports about his potential departure, but didn’t say it was out of the question when the discussions with Loomis started. He said he found it hard to believe that a team would have paid the compensation that Loomis was looking for while noting that he’d also have to sign off on going to coach a different team, a pair of things that led him to believe “in my heart of hearts” that he’d remain with the Saints.
Along with the status update, Payton spoke warmly of his time in New Orleans and about the city in general while also comparing the team’s salary cap situation to a family “climbing out of debt” when discussing what’s to come for the team this offseason.
