Shock as NFL icon Sean Payton quits New Orleans Saints
Sean Payton has shocked NFL fans by stepping down as New Orleans coach after 15 years, admitting he doesn’t know what’s next.
NFL
Don't miss out on the headlines from NFL. Followed categories will be added to My News.
American sports fans were shocked as long-serving New Orleans head coach Sean Payton announced he was stepping down.
The NFL icon, 58, leaves after 15 seasons with the Saints and is moving on after a rocky 9-8 campaign that saw the team fail to reach the playoffs for the first time since 2016.
Watch all the action from the NFL Playoffs. Every game LIVE with ESPN on Kayo. New to Kayo? Try 14-days free now >
Payton took over as Saints head coach in 2006 and rapidly turned the franchise into a force after a dismal 3-13 record in 2005.
Working closely with quarterback Drew Brees, Payton forged one of the best offences in the NFL, and led the team to a Super Bowl win in the 2009 season, beating Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts 31-17.
Reports emerged on Wednesday morning Payton was calling it quits and he gave a farewell press conference confirming the news later in the day.
“I just felt like this season was challenging for everyone, but man I felt like it was time (to go),” Payton said.
“I kinda maybe knew heading into training camp, but you don’t tell anyone that. You see how it goes. I felt the time was right for me.
“It’s a people business and the thing I’m most proud of ... we’ve consistently found the right people that fit what we’re trying to build.”
Payton admitted he doesn’t know what’s next for him “and it feels good”, but suggested he could see himself transitioning into the media as a TV analyst.
“I don’t like the word retirement,” he added. “I still have a vision for doing things in football.
“That might be coaching again, but that’s not where my heart is right now.”
Payton’s career with New Orleans was touched by scandal though. In 2012, the NFL ruled that the team had run a bounty system offering payments to Saints players who deliberately injured opponents.
Payton was alleged to have helped cover-up the existence of the scheme. As a result, Payton was suspended for the entirety of the 2012 season — the first time in NFL history a head coach had been suspended for any reason.
Despite the scandal, Payton was welcomed back in New Orleans following his suspension, resuming as head coach in 2013.
He was unable to guide the team back to the Super Bowl, however, despite reaching the playoffs on five more occasions between 2013 and 2020.
Payton finishes with a 152-89 record.
Saints owner Gayle Benson admitted earlier in the week she was unsure about Payton’s future, while NFL Network reported he had been on vacation for more than a week and was using the time to determine his next step.
Originally published as Shock as NFL icon Sean Payton quits New Orleans Saints
US icon, 72, turns heads with 24yo girlfriend
After an NFL icon turned heads with his 24-year-old girlfriend in a bold red carpet move, Snoop Dogg roasted the legendary coach.
Can Philly stop Kansas City making Super Bowl history?
In one of the highest profile Super Bowl match-ups we’ve seen, history is on the line: who’s the favourite for Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans on Monday?