The 7 NFL head coaches traded since the 1970 merger
(BVM) – Sean Payton is one of the hottest names in this year’s NFL coaching carousel. The veteran head coach has already had reported meetings with the Arizona Cardinals, Carolina Panthers, Denver Broncos and Houston Texans this offseason, showing how popular he is in league circles.
However, hiring Payton won’t be the easiest thing for an NFL franchise. That’s because Payton, who stepped away from coaching last offseason, still has a contract owned by his former team the New Orleans Saints. This would mean that if Payton were to be hired by another team, they would have to trade for his rights as a coach.
Trading head coaches would not be a new phenomenon. In fact, it has happened more frequently over the past 20 years than it had over the NFL’s previous 100. With this backdrop in mind, here are the seven previous times a head coach has been traded in the NFL.
Editor’s Note: These trades are listed chronologically by year from the oldest entry to the newest.
