Sean Payton put the New Orleans Saints in a 'better' place, but what’s next? - New Orleans Saints Blog- ESPN

METAIRIE, La. — Perhaps the greatest testament to Sean Payton’s tenure as head coach of the New Orleans Saints is that the franchise doesn’t feel doomed now that he has decided to step away.

Not to shortchange him; obviously, it won’t be easy to replace one of the winningest coaches and greatest offensive minds in NFL history. But to say that Payton is leaving the Saints in a better place than when he first arrived in 2006 would be a colossal understatement.

Not only did Payton inherit a team that had won just one playoff game in 39 years, it was coming off of a 3-13 record and had just evacuated away from New Orleans for a full season because of Hurricane Katrina. Both the franchise and the city itself were facing uncertain futures.

He joked Tuesday at his news conference, where he formally announced he was stepping down, that trying to build his first coaching staff was like the scene in the movie “Jerry Maguire” in which Tom Cruise was holding a goldfish and calling out, “Who’s coming with me?”

Two months later, Payton got quarterback Drew Brees to come with him. And since then, the Saints have made nine playoff appearances, including the franchise’s only Super Bowl win in 2009. Payton’s Saints teams averaged more points and more yards than any other coach-team duo in NFL history with more than five seasons together, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

And they kept winning over the past five seasons, even when they had to reinvent themselves as Brees got older and eventually retired last year. Only the Kansas City Chiefs had a better record from 2017 to 2021 than the Saints (58-23).

When asked how he wants to be remembered, Payton said, “Someone who had passion. Someone that cared a lot. Winning’s important in