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Report: Miami Dolphins among the teams Sean Payton would be interested in

Sean Payton

Former New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton indicated that among the jobs he might be interested in would be with the Miami Dolphins.

Payton’s comment presumably strikes most people as odd since he was rumored to be in line to replace Brian Flores as the Dolphins’ head coach last January. The rumor in question reportedly had Payton and Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady coming to the Dolphins.

After that rumor surfaced, Payton said he had no knowledge of any such plan. For this year, he is working as part of the Fox NFL Sunday panel.

The Dolphins ultimately hired Mike McDaniel as their new head coach, a decision that’s begun with promise after two victories to start the 2022 season.

Also, the alleged plan to bring in Brady would have removed Tua Tagovailoa as the Dolphins’ starting quarterback. Following a brief retirement, Brady is again quarterbacking the Buccaneers, while Tagovailoa is coming off his best-ever NFL performance after throwing for 469 yards and six touchdowns.

Payton retired after last season after serving as head coach of the New Orleans Saints over 15 seasons. During the 2012 campaign, he was suspended for the entire year for his role in a bounty scandal that reportedly sought to injure players from other teams.

A Legacy of Success

Of course, there’s no guarantee that Payton will be hired by another team. However, his career record suggests that the 58-year-old mentor would have a strong calling card to obtain another head coaching job.

During those 15 years with the Saints, Payton compiled a solid record of 152-89, winning 10 or more games in nine different seasons. In each of those double-digit seasons, the Saints reached the postseason.

On three different occasions under Payton, the Saints reached the NFC Championship Game, winning in January 2010. Two weeks after that victory, they captured Super Bowl XLIV with a 31-17 upset win over the Indianapolis Colts.

It’s conceivable that a position in the Dolphins’ organization might develop that would allow Payton to join the team. As far as potential coaching opportunities with the Dolphins, Payton made his reputation on the offensive side of the ball.

The reality right now is that the Dolphins aren’t looking for a new head coach. That suggests that if Payton does return to coaching next year, it’s not likely to on the Dolphins’ sidelines.