Dolphins and Colts to Inquire About Sean Payton’s Availability

While Sean Payton is good at his job, his contract with the Saints is still going to end by 2017.

Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that the Dolphins, whose decision not to sign Drew Brees helped Payton to a Super Bowl win, are expected to inquire about bringing Payton to Miami as their next permanent head coach.

It appears that gamble may have come back to bite Pagano with the team reportedly looking at alternative options, although the Colts have won two straight games with QB Andrew Luck being out, so a Payton-Luck combination shouldn’t be etched in stone quiet yet. The Dolphins looked so inept these past four weeks that they’ve fired head coach Joe Philbin.

The Colts are another leading team interested in the Saints coach, according to the report.

Payton shot down speculation late in 2014 that he could leave the Saints after that season ended.

With Payton under contract at $8.5 million per season through 2017, it isn’t clear whether he or the Saints would return the interest, but the team is just beginning to rebuild and it may prefer to do so under a new coach.

But it might be wishful thinking entirely, as Schefter said there’s no indication if the Saints or Payton would be willing to even talk about letting him go elsewhere. But a 1-3 start after last year’s 7-9 campaign, combined with significant roster turnover, suggest a hard road ahead.