The calendar says this is the time of year when the adrenaline kicks in a little for Sean Payton.
“I usually get a hole in my stomach about seven days before camp starts,” Payton told USA TODAY Sports, no doubt in a total relaxation mode without a current NFL team to train with. “When do most teams come in, 26 (July), 27?”
Payton, 58, who resigned earlier this year after a long and stellar run with the New Orleans Saints, will return to the NFL calendar soon. He’s signed to Fox Sports as a studio analyst and is optimistic about how his new TV job will keep him close to the game.
Then there’s that next show. From the moment Payton ended her 15-year tenure with the Saints, buzz has persisted about her next stop. A recent Miami Herald report, citing a person close to Payton, said he had his eye on three teams — the Dallas Cowboys, Los Angeles Chargers and Carolina Panthers — as possible landing spots. He is hardly at a point of publicly declaring (or limiting himself to) this.
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The Miami Dolphins were also interested in Payton, but did not receive permission from the Saints to speak to him before choosing Mike McDaniel. Payton is under contract with the Saints until 2024, which means any team that pulls Payton out of retirement will have to compensate their former team.
“Ultimately, do I think I’ll come back? Sure,” Payton said. “There is no way to predict who this club might be. Typically, there are about six openings a year. Whether there is a right fit somewhere will depend on a number of factors.”
For now, Payton is flowing with a low-stress existence that includes golf, hiking, and boating while living in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. He is scheduled to work on both NFL pre-game shows for Fox Sports, alternating weeks with former head coach Jimmy Johnson on Fox NFL Sunday while appearing every week on Fox NFL Kickoff.
“I am very excited about Fox and working with the team,” Payton said. “It will be a great experience. I look forward to being on the other side.”
Payton won a Super Bowl crown and seven division titles as the winningest head coach in Saints history (152-89). Teamed in large part with Drew Brees, he has produced one of the league’s most consistently prolific strikes – the calling card that will fuel demand for a comeback.
He knows. But Payton is also content to live in the moment. Adrenaline is under control.
This next coaching job can wait.
As Payton said, “We’ll deal with it when the time comes.”
Follow USA TODAY Sports’ Jarrett Bell on Twitter @JarrettBell.
