Dolphins rumor hints Cowboys must pay massive contract for Sean Payton

It seems like ages ago when news broke that former Dallas Cowboys quarterbacks coach and longtime New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton would be stepping away from the sidelines to try his hands at broadcasting. At the time, there were rumors that Payton could take over for Troy Aikman, who had yet to leave FOX. Many believed the broadcasting narrative was a farse and that Cowboys owner Jerry Jones would make a run to hire Payton to replace Mike McCarthy

Months later, Aikman is now the lead analyst for ESPN’s revamped “Monday Night Football” broadcasts and Payton is joining the legendary FOX studio show “FOX NFL Sunday.” The former coach will reportedly step in for Jimmy Johnson during his off-weeks joining the longtime crew of Curt Menefee, Terry Bradshaw, Howie Long, and Michael Strahan.

But before all of this happened, the Miami Dolphins reportedly offered Payton a massive contract to be their next head coach. The South Florida Sun-Sentinal initially reported that the Dolphins offered him $100 million for a five-year deal. Not only would that make him the second-highest paid coach after Bill Belichick, but it would also be only the second $100 million coaching contract in NFL history.

The first went to Jon Gruden in 2018, but that was for a 10-year deal. Gruden was set to make $10 million per season. The Sun-Sentinal’s report would mean Payton could have earned $20 million per year.

After that initial report, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer later revealed that the deal was actually for only four years, which would have given Payton $25 million a year.

Dolphins allegedly offered Sean Payton a four-year, $100 million coaching deal, which should raise flags for the Cowboys

Jerry Jones has always had an infatuation with Payton. But will the bargain bin lover be prepared to make that hefty of an offer to bring the former Saints coach down to Dallas? Payton has assured reporters that he wants to give broadcasting an honest try. However, many believe this will be a one-and-done type of situation that sees Payton returning to coaching in 2023.

If that’s the case the Cowboys have to be ready for massive competition. The other issue is that for any team to land Payton, it would require more than just a lump of cash. Payton is under contract with the Saints for the next three years. So, any organization that wants him has to ink out a trade with New Orleans for the coach.

If Miami was willing to throw him a $100 million deal, they likely would have given up draft picks or players to get him, too. In March, GM Chris Grier did confirm to reporters that they reached out to Payton prior to his decision to retire from the Saints. They also were trying to pair Payton with future Hall of Famer Tom Brady, but obviously, neither of those things panned out.

The former head coach was asked about all of this at a golf event in late April. Here’s what he had to say about all of the rumors:

"“If I had been ready to coach like this year, I woulda stayed in New Orleans. It’s nice to have someone interested, and that’s about it. Look, our focus on Tom Brady has been beating him, not joining him.”"