It is getting to that time of year where the NFL coaching carousel really starts revving up. Where it becomes clear which head coaches are probably out and exploration of likely candidates to replace them. The Chicago Bears are expected to be in that mix as Matt Nagy stares down his first losing season. One marked by disappointing collapses and yet another floundering offense. With the fate of Justin Fields in the balance, this is a hire the team has to get right. So when assessing possible options, the idea of pursuing an established coach becomes more attractive. If so, why not aim high? Say for somebody like Sean Payton?
It sounds crazy at first. Payton has made the playoffs with the New Orleans Saints each of the past four seasons. He just signed a contract extension in 2019. It doesn’t seem like the two sides are willing to part ways, right? Not necessarily. Payton has been surrounded by rumors of moving on from that team before. It seemed to come really close in 2016. In the end, he decided to stay.
Things have changed though.
The Saints aren’t the team they were back then. They no longer have a Hall of Fame quarterback in place with Drew Brees. Thursday night against Dallas this week proved as much. The organization is trapped in QB purgatory. Not only that but New Orleans faces a huge salary cap crunch going into 2022, which may require some tough roster sacrifices. At 5-7, it is difficult to tell what the future holds.
Payton, who turns 58-years old this month, may decide it’s time to move on and tackle a new challenge elsewhere. Perhaps with a young quarterback he can mold. That is where the Bears come in. Pairing Payton with Fields seems like a no-brainer. It is a matter of whether such a thing is even possible. Albert Breer of The MMQB conveniently spoke on the subject in his latest column. Even bringing up the connection specifically. Coincidence?
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“The NFL’s anti-tampering rules make it far more difficult to poach a peer’s coach.
But it’s definitely not impossible. In fact, it used to be relatively common, even if it was incredibly complicated and usually came at a very heavy price…
…That said, there are reasons for teams to investigate that this year, in particular. If you’re the Bears, and you make a change after the season, would you see if GM Ryan Pace, a former Saints exec, might be able to land native Chicagoan Sean Payton, who’s now in a bit of QB purgatory in New Orleans?”
Sean Payton is a dream worth pursuing for the Bears
It makes so much sense. The man was raised in Naperville. He went to college at Eastern Illinois and even briefly played quarterback for the team in 1987 during the player strike. Having a connection with Pace is something else that can’t be ignored although it could also be dismissed if Payton would prefer somebody else. Whatever it takes to entice him to Chicago. That is the approach George McCaskey should take. The man is worth it.
His track record speaks for itself. Nine playoff appearances since 2006. Three NFC championship berths and a Super Bowl title in 2009. Maybe most importantly? A total of 12 offenses finished top 10 in scoring. Sean Payton is a machine when it comes to generating points. People talk about Brees but Jameis Winston was having the best season of his NFL career in 2021 prior to tearing his ACL. A 102.8 passer rating with 14 TDs and just three interceptions.
So is this possible?
Yes, but very difficult. Mostly due to a couple of factors. Payton’s interest in leaving and how much the cost would be to get him. If the Saints are looking for a 1st round pick in return, and that feels likely, then the Bears might not be able to oblige. Not after they already gave up their 1st in 2022 for Fields. So it comes down to whether they could get him for cheaper than that and if the head coach might be intrigued by coming home to Chicago. A lot of moving parts.
