sean payton could return to saints with tom brady

Rex Ryan on Sean Payton to the Denver Broncos: Not ‘In a Million Years’

Rex Ryan added a new layer to the buzz about Sean Payton possibly heading to the Denver Broncos.

Ryan, the current ESPN analyst and former NFL coach, went contrarian with the speculation. He doesn’t think Payton will go to the Broncos. Not “in a million years” he says. His theory is Payton will come back to coach the New Orleans Saints again. And he’ll bring “a quarterback named Tom Brady with him.”

Wait, what? Did we hear that correctly? Sean Payton, the former Saints coach, is headed back to the New Orleans sidelines and bringing Tom Brady to the Big Easy? Take a listen to the clip shared by Awful Announcing.

Former Saints Coach and Brady Could’ve Been Together in Miami

Rex Ryan probably is repackaging oldish speculation that’s found new legs. It’s true that Sean Payton and Tom Brady were linked to the Miami Dolphins last year. Those details were part of a lawsuit filed by former Miami coach Brian Flores. And the lawsuit prompted an NFL investigation. One of Flores’ allegations concerned Dolphins owner Stephen Ross ordering the head coach to recruit Brady.

The NFL penalized the Dolphins by taking away two draft picks, including their No. 1 pick in this April’s draft.

And it’s more than Rex Ryan speculating about Sean Payton, Denver and Tom Brady with a twist. Earlier this week, Peter Schrager of the NFL Network had Payton on his podcast. Schrager asked Payton directly about a comeback to coaching with Brady as his QB.

“So, Tom Brady, is he going to be your quarterback where ever you go?” Schrager asked Sean Payton.

Here’s how Payton responded: “Over the years, we always stayed in touch, but never worked together. … There are probably too many variables in that equation.” The coach then added “there is a good chance that if we work together, it will be with Fox.”

Brady is joining Fox as its lead NFL analyst when he retires. That’s a done deal. There are also questions about whether he plays another season. He turns 46 in August, weeks before the start of the 2023 regular season. However, he is a free agent after this current season is over.

Latest Buzz Has Sean Payton Interviewing with Denver Broncos

Although the Bucs haven’t been as brilliant as everyone expected, Tampa did earn a spot in the playoffs, in part, because of Brady’s arm. With an 8-8 record, the Bucs clinched the division last Sunday. But it took a classic fourth quarter Brady-led comeback. The quarterback threw a 57-yard touchdown to Mike Evans, then followed it with a 30-yard score seven minutes later to erase an 11-point Carolina lead. With 1:58 to go, Brady clinched the win with a one-yard QB sneak for the touchdown.

The Bucs play at Atlanta, Sunday. Brady can break an NFL record with minimal effort. He’s thrown 716 passes this season and is a dozen attempts away from breaking the league record owned by Matthew Stafford. He set the record in 2012.

So maybe Rex Ryan will be correct and Sean Payton comes back to the Saints and brings Tom Brady with him. Or maybe Payton heads to the Broncos, the team that has contacted by the coach about an interview. One thing is a guarantee — there will be lots of speculation.

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