Report: Cowboys ‘have had zero contact’ with Saints or Sean Payton

John Sigler

January 26, 2023 at 2:51 PM·2 min read

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One other layer…
As for Sean Payton, I’m told the #Cowboys have had zero contact with him nor have the #Saints with the #Cowboys. Just putting this one to bed. Payton still engaged in conversations with multiple teams including an intriguing developing team
— Jane Slater (@SlaterNFL) January 26, 2023

NFL Network’s Jane Slater reports that the Dallas Cowboys ‘have had zero contact’ with the New Orleans Saints or Sean Payton while evaluating their coaching staff, and that head coach Mike McCarthy is believed to be returning for 2023 despite an embarrassing playoff exit last weekend. Rumors have linked Payton to the Cowboys for years — he’s still good friends with owner Jerry Jones, and it’s the last place he coached before coming to New Orleans — but it doesn’t sound like Dallas is looking to make an earth-shaking change in pursuit of Payton.

Not going to lie, this is a little disappointing. Sports are entertainment, and the push-and-pull between Payton and Jones would have fueled plenty of Cowboys-centric drama for years to come. If Dallas is unprepared to part ways with McCarthy and push all their chips in (or, ah, get their ducks in a row) with Payton waiting, we’ll be left looking elsewhere for movement on the former Saints head coach. McCarthy is the first Cowboys coach with back-to-back seasons of double-digit wins, so it does make sense for Dallas to hold onto him in hopes of sustaining that success.

Still, changes are on the way for the Cowboys. At least six assistant coaches have not had their contracts renewed after the season ended and both of their coordinators are involved in head coach searches around the league — it wouldn’t be a shock to see Dan Quinn and Kellen Moore hired by teams also considering Payton for that role. What ripple effects, if any, this all has for New Orleans remains to be seen. Hopefully the Saints can find a way to benefit from whatever happens next.