| Good morning and welcome to the Wednesday edition of the Saints Insider newsletter for Dec. 28, 2022. There's been a lull in Saints news since their 17-10 win against the Cleveland Browns on Christmas Eve, but that should change shortly as players and coaches return to the practice field to begin preparations for their game against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday. In fact, most of the Saints-related news has focused on former head coach Sean Payton and his potential landing spot as head coach in 2023. With that in mind, I tapped into my sources both locally and across the league to gauge the most likely destinations for Payton next season. As I reported earlier this month, Payton is open to returning to New Orleans if the Saints were to make a coaching change but the latest word out of Saints camp is that management and ownership plan are standing behind first-year head coach Dennis Allen. My team-by-team breakdown of the Sean Payton Coaching Sweepstakes for 2023. Now, let’s get to the latest and greatest from our crew at Nola.com: — One national report says that chatter is building in NFL circles about a possible return of Sean Payton to New Orleans. The Pro Football Talk report says Payton could be bringing a star quarterback with him wherever he goes. —Despite their 6-9 record, the Saints are still alive in the NFC playoff race. But their chances actually shrank after Saturday's win in Cleveland. Luke Johnson explains why in his analysis of the Saints' playoff picture. That’s it for today. We'll have much more coverage in the days ahead as the Saints ramp up preparation for their game against the Eagles in Philadelphia. Be sure to check out the NOLA.com Saints page to make sure you're caught up on all the latest news. Until next time, Jeff Duncan | 
