Jeff Duncan on Sean Payton 2023

Bill said
The bottom line is that Sean Payton was burned out. He needed to get away from coaching even though coaching is in his blood and he equates success & happiness with coaching.

Personally I have to believe that having been a newly married man played a role in his decision. But I also believe he always knew he'd coach again, somewhere. However, I don't believe the option to coach the Saints again was ever in his plans. Maybe he really thought Allen would have success as the Saints new skipper.

That said, I always wondered how he felt this year watching his beloved team turn into a laughingstock & a dumpster fire. He HAD to be imagining what he would do to fix all the problems as they unfolded throughout the season. Does that translate into actually WANTING to take these matters back into his own hands? I still believe that's unlikely. But it's not impossible t!hat he could be so moved.

While every Saints fan would adore a Sean Reunion, it's probably best not to start getting your hopes up. How much sadder it's going to be for Saints fans to watch Sean don another team's coaching cap after convincing themselves that the Saints are actually in the Payton Sweepstakes. :covri:

Considering that he recommended Allen for the job you'd have to assume he thought he'd have success. Like that's a pretty big reference to have behind you. And he said he didn't want to think of it as just stepping away for year because of how disrespectful that would be for Allen to basically have an interim HC for a year title.

Then Allen comes in and faceplants in an epic fashion. Loses most of his games, ostracizes the QB Sean Payton groomed to take over, and basically run team and fan morale into the ground. That doesn't look good on Payton since he hand picked him to take over, in fact I'd wish someone would ask him about that in an interview.

Having a QB in place makes some of life easier but you need a GM that will let you have total control over everything and an owner that will open up their checkbook for you. It's no guarantee he'll get everything he wants elsewhere.