As the Sean Payton Sweepstakes continues, one of the leading contenders to land the former NFL coach had to postpone his interview. The Carolina Panthers was up next on Payton’s tour but they had rescheduled because of tragic circumstances.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Panthers’ owner David Tepper remains focused on the tragic death of Charlotte FC defender Anton Walkes but has rescheduled Payton’s interview for January 23.
Sean Payton’s head coaching interview with Carolina is tentatively being rescheduled for Mon, Jan. 23 as Panthers’ owner David Tepper remains focused on the tragic death of Charlotte FC defender Anton Walkes.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 20, 2023
Walkes, 25, died in a boating accident a few days ago. Naturally, Tepper and the team are “devastated by the tragic passing of Anton Walkes.”
“He was a tremendous son, father, partner, and teammate whose joyous approach to life touched everyone he met,” Tepper said in a statement.
Payton has made it no secret that he plans to be a head coach next season, but the only question is where? Many NFL experts thought that it was a slam dunk that the former Saints coach would end up with the Denver Broncos.
After all, he was hinting hard that Denver was the place he wanted to be, but maybe the Broncos’ flirtation with Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh didn’t sit well with him. Or he simply wants to see what offers are out there, given how in demand he would be.
But Payton surely understands that under the circumstance that Tepper needs to get through this tragic situation first before he can re-focus. For the Panthers’ sake, they better hope that Payton doesn’t move on too quickly to another team.
