Saints head coach Sean Payton’s contract voided by the NFL
Before the New Orleans Saints’ bounty scandal was even discovered, head coach Sean Payton signed a contract extension with the team that would have allowed him to leave the team if general manager Mickey Loomis was suspended, fired, or left New Orleans.
On Sunday, USA Today reported that the extension was voided by the NFL due to an issue with the clause that would allow Payton to walk away from the contract if Loomis left the team. Reportedly, the NFL “believed that any such language in Payton’s contract would set a bad precedent for other coaching contracts and rejected the deal well before Loomis was suspended for the first eight games this season for his part in the bounty scandal.”
The NFL clarified their decision in a statement, saying that all deals have to be cleared by Roger Goodell, and that the league does not comment on specific clauses of specific contracts. They added that any further comment on the matter should come directly from Payton or the Saints organization.
Even though the extension was voided, the NFL does have the option to bump up the final year of his contract from 2012 to 2013, because of the fact that he was suspended for the entirety of this season. If they do not do this, he will become a free agent at the end of this season.
