Saints Reveal Price Tag for Sean Payton's Potential Return to Coaching in Denver

The Denver Broncos have been eliminated from playoff contention for weeks now and the team has turned its attention toward the vacant head coaching gig. The front office is leaning toward hiring an experienced candidate, including one that led the New Orleans Saints to a Super Bowl title in 2012.

Sean Payton has been away from the NFL for one season and is already contemplating a return to the sidelines. It wouldn't be a simple hire for any NFL team to make, though. The Saints own the rights to Payton's contract and would need compensation in order to let him coach outside of New Orleans.

Insider Ian Rapoport reports that the Saints are asking for a first-round draft pick and more in initial trade negotiations. Given New Orleans granted permission for Denver to interview the veteran head coach, it would only make sense that the Broncos front office is willing to meet the hefty price tag.

Denver is in need of a big splash for the fans and hiring Payton would serve as that splash, but keep in mind the Broncos are not stacked with a ton of draft capital to dangle in a trade. Their first-round pick in 2023 is expected to be no higher than No. 15 overall after being acquired from the Miami Dolphins.

They are also without a second-round pick in 2023 after trading for quarterback Russell Wilson back in March. Nonetheless, Rapoport details that Denver is "still in the game." It'll be interesting to see how this storyline develops in the next month or so and whether the market for Payton heats up at all.

Other reported candidates for Denver are Michigan's Jim Harbaugh and Dallas Cowboys' Dan Quinn.

Larry Rupp is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Larry Rupp also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username phillyfan424. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel. 

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