The Benson family's struggle for control of the Saints could have far-reaching consequences in Dallas.
Coach Sean Payton could be on his way out of New Orleans after the season, pending the outcome of a legal dispute within owner Tom Benson's family, a source told Yahoo Sports.
If true, a number of teams would be interested in the Saints coach, and this is where Dallas comes in. Yahoo speculated that if the Cowboys can't pull themselves out of their tailspin since Tony Romo went down with his broken clavicle, their situation could be in play.
"And if the Dallas Cowboys tank the rest of the season (like, say, the 4-12 range), don't be surprised to see them pop up in a Payton discussion despite the five-year, $30 million extension Jason Garrett signed last season," Yahoo Sports reported.
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Benson is engaged in a controversy with his daughter, which has led to the speculation.
"One of the primary issues is whether Benson's estranged daughter, Renee Benson, and her two children -- Rita Benson LeBlanc and Ryan LeBlanc -- can gain a stronger grip on the Saints somewhere inside a tangle of ongoing litigation, the source said," according to Yahoo Sports.
"The NFL owner is engaged in legal and financial wrangling on a number of fronts with Renee Benson and her children, two of which impact some aspect of ownership in the Saints."
Renee is disputing a June decision that her father, who owns both the Saints and the NBA's Pelicans is competent to govern his estate. Meanwhile, Tom is trying to get his estranged family removed from his stake in the Saints and Pelicans and is suing trustees who are blocking his attempt to remove Renee from ownership in the teams.
That has created a tenuous situation for Payton if Renee Benson is successful in her pursuits.
"If there is an ownership change, he has an out," the source said. "He has some other outs, too. There would be a lot of interest in him -- maybe four or five other teams would be interested. ... I don't think he's thinking about it right now. He's not pursuing anything. I think he wants to see what happens like everyone else. But considering everything, if I put a percentage on whether he'd be the Saints coach next year, I'd say [it's] 50-50."
The Saints loss could be the Cowboys gain, in the form of a Super Bowl-winning coach with a 90-57 career record.
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