METAIRIE, La. -- Sean Payton seemed at peace with his decision to leave the New Orleans Saints during an emotional 90-minute farewell news conference, pointing out that coaches don’t get to choose their own expiration dates unless they experience a lot of success.
But Payton was asked a question that was probably impossible to truly answer. Could he have stepped away if the Saints hadn’t won the Super Bowl in 2009?
“That’s a great question. But the problem is one’s not enough,” said Payton, who explained that he is so competitive it “drove me crazy” that Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin reached 150 career wins a few weeks earlier than him during the 2021 season.