The only remaining franchise with an open head coaching position is in New Orleans, and it seems to not be a very attractive job at the moment. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, one remaining candidate for the position, Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady, has opted to remain in Buffalo and pull out of the race for the Saints‘ head coaching job. 
The reason for Brady’s decision is likely two-fold. An obvious observation is that Brady enjoys his role in Buffalo. The Bills have created a powerhouse duo with Brady and quarterback Josh Allen, and the team will play this weekend for a chance to earn the first Super Bowl berth for the franchise since they lost four straight Super Bowls from 1990-93. Brady took over a Bills offense last year (following Ken Dorsey‘s dismissal) that finished sixth in scoring and fourth in total yards, and in his first full year at the helm, the team finished second in scoring and 10th in total yards.
The other reason seems to be that the head coaching job in New Orleans doesn’t appear to be a very attractive one at the moment. Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football said as much, pointing out that the team also whiffed on Aaron Glenn who chose a New York franchise that has not been absent of controversy in recent years. Jay Skurski of The Buffalo News commends the decision from Brady, stating his views that the Saints are “perpetually in cap hell and don’t have a clear path to a franchise quarterback” at the moment.
Skurski’s not totally off base on his first attack. According to OvertheCap.com, New Orleans is last in the league in cap space for 2025. The website shows that they are currently $52.32MM over the cap, necessitating a number of cap casualties over the offseason. While the situation is projected to improve in 2026, their projected $60.09MM of cap space would only rank 26th in the league.
Returning to Buffalo for another season, barring something unforeseen, Brady is likely to return as a top head coaching candidate next year, as well. Perhaps a lack of team success or a complete change in the protocol for interviewing head coaches during the postseason will allow him a better opportunity to explore all the available jobs before they all close up while he’s still coaching a playoff team, as happened this year.
As for the Saints, we were already made aware that the team hoped to conduct a second interview with another offensive coordinator who’s still participating in the postseason, Eagles OC Kellen Moore. We also are aware that a third playoff OC, the Commanders’ Kliff Kingsbury, had plans to interview following the conclusion of his postseason, but Underhill reports that Kingsbury is currently undecided on whether or not he’ll interview in New Orleans, as he won’t begin evaluating his options until he’s done coaching for the year.
The main contenders for the position appear to be Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver and Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka, both of whom have completed second interviews with the team recently. Other candidates include interim head coach Darren Rizzi, who interviewed over a week ago, former Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy, who has been reported as an upcoming interview, and Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy, who has been mentioned as a candidate.
good for Josh Allen.
McCarthy going to NO?
McCarthy, Rivera, maybe a hire out of LF and Byron Leftwich? This is the job nobody wants to try I feel as long as the cap situation is horrendous.
They have no QB, but if they eat the cap this year and the next they maybe desirable. They maybe in a prime spot for Arch, if the Mannings want him to go there.
That makes sense, but Mickey maybe making that decision, not the coach.
Arch Manning is a bust. He was in the lowest level in high school and his team got blown out 52 to 10 in their final game with him throwing interceptions almost every series.
Arch manning has accomplished more in his short life than you likely ever will
As a Bills fan, big fan of this news.
Brady wasn’t getting it
Lucky for Brady. It’s a horrible option for an up-and-coming coach. Better to have McCarthy take the hit since he’s got few options left…
Felt like the Bills deep run hurt him a little. Once Ben Johnson went all the dominoes fell really fast. I have to think if the bills went out early and the lions were still in it, Brady would have his own team.
That’s why no coach should be hired until after the Super Bowl. Interviews distract the contenders and they get penalized for going further in the playoffs.
They should be adult enough to multitask, they also are interviewing outside of work hours. At non sports jobs you interview for different positions and jobs but you still have to go to your current job and perform like normal.
Waiting until after the SB when combine and pro days are right around the corner isn’t a fair way either.
So, screw over teams in the playoffs in favor of perennial losing teams? Makes zero sense…
How are they screwed? KC has had coaches and FO interviewed, hasn’t stopped them. Eagles had both coordinators hired their last run still made SB, Pats during their run lost coaches.
How is a 1-2 hrs interview usually virtual that distracting in a league of constant change? They can’t physically meet with the playoff coaches. Part of being a professional and these coaches aren’t grinding out a gameplay 24/7. They can’t constantly communicate with players either.
Feels like it is tough for him and Monken as Allen and Lamar get so much credit. I think Nagy had time with Alex Smith which helped him get a HC. Bienemy was getting no HC as Reid and Mahomes got all credit.
Im not sure thats the case here.
Its not like this job is extremely attractive.
There is nothing in the article suggesting he was out with New Orleans – in fact it suggests he wanted out instead. This was his decision to wait for a job where he could actually compete instead of being a placeholder/figurehead until the cap situation is resolved and they dump him to hire someone else.
Similar to David Culley was with the Texans.
Smart.
He will get a better opportunity next year.
Go Bills !!!
71sick
New Orleans would have been a career killer or at least a career pothole. Glad to have him back in Buffalo for at least one more year (which could land him in a much better HC job in 2026)
I would consider New Orleans a much better destination than Atlanta. The only competition for fans in the bayou is LSU. In Atlanta, the Falcons have to prove to Georgians that they are as good as the Bulldogs and Braves in baseball. That’s a tough sell.
Sadly, head coaches get as little as one year to prove their worth today, and Atlanta at least has a good QB prospect and cap room to maneuver and bring in more talent. New Orleans has neither…
The Saints aren’t celebrating 60 years of franchise futility in 2025 as the Falcons will be doing.
Not an Atlanta fan, but with their current cap and QB situations, the Falcons have a much better shot at making the playoffs in the next two years than the Saints.
Hopefully he has some principles and doesn’t do them like Liam Coen did Tampa!!
Good decision by Brady. The Saints are screwed the next couple of seasons thanks to their cap issues. They need to have several hits in the draft.
If they can pull a Baalke and fire the GM responsible for having them in cap hell the job would be a lot more desirable. Sadly, don’t think Saints ownership is smart enough to do that.
It feels like the Saints have been in salary cap hell since the initial introduction of the salary cap. For them it’s more like a salary hairnet.
Actually, Joe Brady has his site set on the USC job. Should their coach be fired at the end of next season which is a real possibility his entire family lives in California and that’s one of the few places where he could get a private jet to fly around. The NFL doesn’t offer that. He’s rumored that he would use it to get NIL money throughout the nation for the team using the private jet. They pretty much say he can push USC to the top in one year.. I know for a fact he’s assembled a on paper coaching staff that could go with him that would include Byron Leftwich as a quarterback coach and going to offer the defensive coordinator job to Aaron Donald.
Guys – he “knows for a fact!”
I wonder if Joe Brady is aware?
Good call he’d be embarrassed without Allen