re: 2 teams have already reached out to Payton to coach this year.

I don't really understand these takes either...

Is NFL coaching a high-stress job? YES

Is being the CEO of a relatively unknown but global oil and gas pipeline company a high-stress job? YES

Is the NFL GM job a high-stress job? YES

Is a commission-only sales job (mine) a high-stress job? YES


Point is, millions of hard-working Americans are working high-stress jobs and making good money doing it -- and they continue to do it because that is what we do. We work hard to provide for our families and to build a career to be proud of and establish a "nest egg" that gives us the best chance to retire the way we want in the future.

Sean has admittedly already made enough money to secure 100 retired people's futures, and if he is just tired of the grind and wants to retire from coaching... well he's earned it! But he got paid DAMN WELL to do it!

3 days ago I was sad but kinda "okay with" (obviously Sean doesn't give 2 S#its about my approval) Sean's decision to step aside, believing he was simply -- even though he wouldn't admit to use the words -- burned out ON COACHING. "Quitting" in the context of simply moving to TV or retirement or even trying his hand at the Executive level (GM) one day was at least something I could respect.

When Underhill started to break the news that he wanted out after the 2016 season (Drew had thrown for 5,200 yards and another insanely accurate season)...
that he again wanted out after 2019 to go to Dallas, even though while he knew Drew was about done, the defense had finally arrived in NOLA and we had a VERY DEEP roster and could REALLY use a great coach to navigate such a dramatic change in terms of needing to learn a new way to win...
I thought (hoped) he'd take it as a challenge and a point of personal pride to succeed "post-Drew" with another quarterback and a new way of winning (Defense, STs, efficient offense--coaching the best out of a career-long mediocre QB, a la Winston)...

And now he is "stepping away" when we are in the worst salary cap position yet and faced with the difficult challenge of having still a really good defense and special teams, but could still succeed if an offensive mastermind and leader of men could make chicken salad out of chicken$hit and be a legit contender... (where could we ever find said offensive mastermind and leader of men!??!)



"frick this quitter" ABSOLUTELY APPLIES if Sean does indeed "step away" for a year or two and then pops up in Dallas or Las Vegas or LA (chargers)...

He can't "verbally" write this "love letter" back in the 2016 offseason (right after the Rams hire McVay because Loomis said "absofricken-lutely not" to trading him to the Rams and he's "stuck" still in NOLA) when he talks to the media about how New Orleans grows on you and you learn to love the potholes and say "I'll be the coach here for as long as they'll have me" but then force his way out to coach elsewhere, and expect anything other than the mixed-feelings that Saints fans will have including bitterness about the fact that he CHOSE not to coach "here as long as they'll have me", but that he ultimately forced his way out to coach another team (after trying to get out a few times already...)

Many Saints fans, myself included, will RIGHTFULLY feel betrayed if this is indeed what comes to fruition!
It sucks enough to lose a great coach -- MILES AND MILES Far and way the best in our history -- but just don't tell us how much you love us and how you want to finish your career here and how you learned to love New Orleans if it's all just a bunch of bull$hit!!


CSP, We will always be grateful for the last decade and a half of not only relevance but the pride and excitement you brought us with XLIV and almost perennial contender status -- TYFYS, but if you do end up coaching elsewhere within the next 2-3 years, GFY!