If Saints coach Sean Payton ends up leaving, possibly for the Cowboys, quarterback Drew Brees definitely will need an explanation.
''I’d be shocked if he wasn’t here next year,’' Brees said recently, via the Associated Press. ''I have not even thought for a second that he wouldn’t be here, honestly. Not even thought for a second.’'
Brees also dismissed reports suggesting that Payton will weigh his options, even though one such report came from Jay Glazer of FOX. Moreover, it was Adam Schefter of ESPN who first declared that Payton will -- not might, will -- become a free agent.
''We also know how the whole sources thing works, don’t we?’' Brees said. ''Sources can pretty much say whatever you want them to say because you never really have to be accountable for it. Like I said, I’m not worried.’'
Maybe Brees isn’t worried because he knows the answer to the one question that everyone is looking: When does Payton’s contract expire?
As we explained over the weekend, no one is saying when Payton’s current deal runs out. Typically, coaching contracts expire in late January or late February, not upon the conclusion of the team’s season. So even if Payton is reinstated before the Super Bowl, he won’t be able to take another job or even talk to another team unless the Saints release him from the deal.
And if the contract expires on February 28, the chances of any other jobs being open then are slim. And none.