A 14-18 record the past two years was enough for the New Orleans Saints to make Sean Payton the first known NFL coach to cross the $9 million a year barrier. ESPN's Ed Werder reported that Payton agreed to a five-year extension worth "slightly more" than $45 million, a raise from his $8.5 million salary.
Imagine what Payton would have been worth had he gone to the playoffs either of the past two seasons.
Of course there's more to it than that. The Saints have 10 double-digit win seasons in their history, and Payton is responsible for five of them. The Saints had won one playoff game before Payton arrived, and Payton has led six playoff victories in his nine seasons. He also guided the first and only Super Bowl championship in Saints history.
After Payton had two straight 7-9 seasons, credit the Saints for realizing something many NFL teams don't: Sticking with a coach because he's the best guy for the job, and not making decisions based on one or two down seasons, is the smart move.
Some teams think they're obligated to fire the coach every time they have a losing season, even if that makes little sense. And the Saints would be hard pressed to find anyone better than Payton, a great offensive mind. Many teams were rumored to be interested in getting Payton away from New Orleans this offseason, but he ended up staying. And the Saints are paying Payton enough to keep him very happy.
Coaching salaries are always tough to pin down, but it's possible Payton is now the NFL's highest-paid coach. Pete Carroll of the Seattle Seahawks makes more than $8 million, and perhaps has hit the $9 million plateau, but his salary hasn't been nailed down since he signed an extension in 2014. The salary of New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick is often cited at $7.5 million, but nobody has any idea what he makes and it wouldn't be surprising if he's making a lot more than that. Nobody else in the NFL is reported to be near the $8 million mark.
Payton isn't the highest-paid coach in American sports (we know, at very least, Doc Rivers of the Los Angeles Clippers makes more than $10 million a year), but Payton is in an elite class when it comes to salaries in his profession.
The question isn't whether Payton has earned his contract to this point. He certainly has. It's if he'll continue to be worth it going forward. While Payton has done a great job for the Saints, it has also coincided with Drew Brees' time in New Orleans. Brees is 37 and while he's still playing very well, it's fair to wonder how many great years he has left. Is New Orleans' success the last nine years a reflection on Payton or his quarterback?
The Saints have also spent recklessly in free agency the past few years, and annually have one of the worst salary-cap situations in the NFL. It doesn't seem like a franchise on the rise.
But that's why the Saints gave Payton big bucks to extend his contract another five years. At $9 million per season, he should be able to figure out a way to get the team back on course.
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