Sean Payton trends after Broncos fire Nathaniel Hackett

Sean Payton might have a listing of suitors a mile excessive.

The Broncos fired Nathaniel Hackett on Monday morning, prematurely ending his disastrous first season as head coach, and the hypothesis instantly turned as to if Payton would come out of retirement to educate in Denver.

Step one for Payton, or any head coach who takes the job in Denver, could be reverting quarterback Russell Wilson to any semblance of his former self. It might not be sensible for the Broncos to half methods with Wilson within the subsequent a number of years; he has $107 million in lifeless cap subsequent season, $85 million in 2024, $49.6 million in 2025, and what would nonetheless be a bitter capsule to swallow of $31.2 million in 2026.

“Really feel just like the Broncos finest probability at a fast repair is to present Sean Payton a clean examine and hope he could make Russ not terrible,” Dan Katz of Barstool Sports activities tweeted within the fast wake of Hackett’s firing. “The Waltons might pay him limitless cash.”

The Waltons refers to Rob Walton, an inheritor to the Walmart fortune, who bought the Broncos at a document valuation of $4.65 billion final summer time.

The 58-year-old Payton coached the Saints from 2006-21, and his tenure included a Tremendous Bowl victory and 10 profitable seasons.

Payton, who’s spending the season working as a studio commentator for Fox Sports activities, does appear inclined to return to the sidelines. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported on Sunday that Payton has already been assembling a possible employees, together with former Broncos head coach Vic Fangio, a reputed defensive thoughts.

However luring Payton to Denver could possibly be troublesome. NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport reported earlier this month that if Payton had his “druthers” he would coach in Los Angeles. The Rams’ job would solely open up if Sean McVay steps down, and the Chargers would probably must have a late-season collapse for there to be any probability of Brandon Staley shedding his job.

Payton may also ceaselessly be linked to the Cowboys, ought to Mike McCarthy not recover from the hump of profitable a playoff recreation or two. The opposite open jobs, up to now, are the Panthers and Colts.

Any staff that does hope to signal Payton would want to work out compensation with the Saints, on condition that when the coach left the job he was nonetheless underneath contract.