NEW ORLEANS — Dennis Allen will get another chance to lead the Saints as the team's head coach in 2023.
General manager Mickey Loomis announced in a Friday press conference that Allen will remain with the team through at least in 2023, adding that the team has no intention of "bottoming out" and plans to compete next season. Loomis also says that player and staff evaluations will begin next week, and any decisions regarding the team's staff will not come until next week.
Loomis was also asked a number of questions regarding the future of former head coach Sean Payton. Loomis confirmed that the Saints have given permission to the Denver Broncos, Arizona Cardinals, and Houston Texans to interview Payton for their respective head coaching vacancies.
If Payton were to be hired by any team this offseason, the team would have to compensate the Saints with draft picks, as Payton remains under contract with team despite his retirement last year. Loomis said that final compensation the team would be looking for still hasn't been determined.
"I want the best for (Sean Payton). He gave everything he could to the New Orleans Saints," Loomis said Friday. "But we also recognize that his contract is a valuable asset to our club, and its our duty to maximize that."
Loomis also added that the team would likely not allow any current Saints staff members to join Payton in any prospective new job if the move was lateral. (i.e. a quarterback coach leaving the Saints to become the quarterback coach with Payton's new team).