why did sean payton leave the saints

Sean Payton left the New Orleans Saints in January 2022 because he felt it was the right time for him personally to step away. His decision was not forced by the team but was his own self-assessment. Payton mentioned he wanted to focus on his health and spend more time with his family after a long and successful 16-year tenure. The departure came about a year after the retirement of longtime quarterback Drew Brees, and after a less impressive 9-8 season in 2021 compared to several years of strong performance. Payton did not consider it retirement in the traditional sense, leaving open the possibility of returning to coaching later or pursuing other football-related opportunities, including broadcasting. His leaving also showed confidence in his defensive coordinator Dennis Allen to take over the team. Payton then spent some time as a Fox analyst in 2022 before eventually taking a coaching position with the Denver Broncos in 2023, which involved a trade between the Saints and Broncos as Payton was still under contract with New Orleans at the time he retired.