NFL Exec: Sean Payton 'Really Wants' Head Coach Job with Justin Herbert, Chargers

If Brandon Staley is out as head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers following the 2022 season, the franchise could land one of the best coaches in football as his replacement.

A longtime NFL personnel executive told Jason La Canfora of the Washington Post that he believes former New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton "really wants" to coach Justin Herbert and the Chargers:

“[Dean] Spanos doesn’t like to pay his coaches, but once your quarterback starts making $50 million a year, you’re really going to be cheap about your head coach? Sean loves living in Southern California. You’ve got Herbert and some other blue chip players. That’s the fit.”

Payton, who is working for Fox Sports this season after stepping down as head coach of the Saints in January, said during an appearance on the NewOrleans.Football podcast last month that he would be open to returning to an NFL sideline if the "right situation presented itself."

Payton said, via ESPN:

"If the right situation presented itself, I would definitely be interested. And there's no utopia, if you will, when it comes to teams, but if I felt like it was the right situation, I would have an interest in that. That all being said, that could come in a year, that could come in two years."

When asked what he would be looking for in a franchise to coach, Payton said that "the most important element is functional ownership [and] front office." He added that the "opportunity to win consistently and the willingness to build the correct culture" would also factor into his decision.

Payton, who coached in New Orleans for 15 seasons, has two years remaining on his contract with the Saints after the 2022 season. If he were to return to coaching in 2023, New Orleans would need to be compensated.

Payton led the Saints to a 152-89 record from 2006-2021 and also led the team to seven NFC South division titles and nine playoff appearances, including a Super Bowl title in 2010. He also won Coach of the Year during the 2006 campaign.

The Chargers hired Staley to replace Anthony Lynn ahead of the 2021 campaign. He led the Bolts to a 9-8 record in his first season at the helm and they missed the playoffs for the third straight season.

This season, Staley and the Chargers are second in the AFC West with a 3-2 record. Depending on where they finish, Staley could be out after just two seasons because of his lack of success with a talented roster that includes Herbert, Keenan Allen, Austin Ekeler and more.