If the Dallas Cowboys want Sean Payton to be their next head coach, it is going to cost owner Jerry Jones a lot of money. Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer responded to a Florida Sun-Sentinel report that indicated Payton turned down a five-year, $100 million offer from the Dolphins, adding that the $100 million was for a shorter four-year deal.
In other words, the Cowboys may need to give Payton more than $25 million per year to have a chance at luring the coach out of retirement. Payton was previously coaching on a five-year, $80 million contract with the Saints, per Breer.
“As I see it, the reckoning is coming. Payton has leverage because he’s already got money, and will have multiple suitors if and when he decides to return to the sideline,” Breer wrote on June 14. “Sean McVay has leverage with the Rams because if he walks away, a TV network will likely give him a raise on what he’s already making. And if you want to get a Ryan Day or a Lincoln Riley out of the college ranks down the line, you’ll have to beat the eight-figure annual numbers those guys are pulling down (Look at what Carolina did to lure Matt Rhule from Baylor).”
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McCarthy on Coaching Rumors: ‘I Wish We Were Talking About Something Else’
After initially prompting rumors about Mike McCarthy’s future, Jones has attempted to voice confidence in his current head coach. Yet, it does not take much research to see that Jones has gushed about Payton dating back to his three seasons (2003 to 2005) as a Cowboys assistant. If Dallas struggles this season, the Payton rumors are going to hover over the team, something McCarthy admitted he is not thrilled about.
“Are these narratives unusual? Absolutely, I’ve never dealt with anything like this,” McCarthy noted during a February 15 interview on “The Rich Eisen Show.” “Do I wish I didn’t have to come on here and answer questions about it? Yeah, no doubt about it, I wish we were talking about something else, but it is part of our landscape, and I just think keeping things real and keeping things focused, because at the end of the day, it’s about the people that you’re in charge of. It’s about the people you coach and, most importantly, it’s about our locker room and our locker room’s about winning.”
The Payton Rumors Are Likely to Reemerge in 2023
The Payton option might be off the table for 2022 but is likely to reemerge next offseason unless the Cowboys are able to make a deep playoff run. During a January 28 interview on Dallas’ 105.3 the Fan, Jones discussed the ongoing rumors connecting Payton to the Cowboys.
“Not at all and the rationale, I mean, I think a lot of Sean, but there’s going to be somebody other than Sean win the Super Bowl this year, and if he doesn’t coach, it’d be somebody other than Sean win the Super Bowl next year,” Jones explained. “My point is you win Super Bowls and people win Super Bowls. There’s nobody, no one person indispensable as far as winning the Super Bowl’s concerned.”
Not only will the Cowboys have to pay a premium for Payton, but the Saints have the former coach under contract. Dallas would likely have to send some sort of compensation to New Orleans to be able to land the legendary coach.
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Cowboys May Need to Top $100 Million Offer to Land Possible Coaching Target