Lost in the fact that the contract extension signed by Saints coach Sean Payton was rejected by the league office due to a term that would have invalidated the deal upon the departure of G.M. Mickey Loomis is the question of why that language was in the contract in the first place.
A league source tells PFT that Payton wanted to be sure that Loomis would be present to serve as a buffer between the coach and Rita Benson LeBlanc.
Officially listed as owner/executive vice president of the team, LeBlanc is expected to have more, not less, power during the term of Payton’s next contract. So Payton prefers not to have to deal with LeBlanc. To ensure that Payton won’t have to, Loomis needs to be there.
Maybe, then, if that term can’t be included, Payton really won’t want to stay in New Orleans.