As expected, the Kellen Moore hire is moving forward. He is finalizing a deal to become the next head coach of the Saints, as first reported by NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo. The agreement is now in place, per Rapoport. 
Moore’s tenure as the Eagles’ offensive coordinator will wind up lasting only one year. The 35-year-old returned to Philadelphia after the team’s Super Bowl win (at the Superdome), but he will now fly back to New Orleans to sign a contract. This will mark Moore’s first head coaching opportunity at the college or NFL levels.
After his playing career came to an end, the former quarterback joined the Cowboys’ coaching staff. One season as Dallas’ QBs coach was followed by a four-year run as the team’s offensive coordinator. Moore’s success in that capacity helped his stock, although then-head coach Mike McCarthy elected to take over play-calling duties in the 2023 offseason. Moore found himself on the move for the first time in his brief coaching career as a result.
The Chargers brought Moore in as their OC for 2023, the only season in Justin Herbert‘s career in which he missed time due to injury. Overall, Los Angeles ranked just 18th in yards and 21st in scoring, and the arrival of new head coach Jim Harbaugh led to Moore changing teams once again. The Eagles – having replaced Shane Steichen with Brian Johnson at the offensive coordinator spot in 2023 – were again in the market for a hire at that position.
Moore helped lead the Eagles to a strong showing on the ground in particular, with the free agent signing of Saquon Barkley proving to be a sound offseason investment. Philadelphia’s passing attack was inconsistent during the campaign, but Moore’s unit was stellar in the postseason. The Eagles scored an NFL-record 145 playoff points en route to winning the Super Bowl, something which helped cement him as the favorite for the Saints’ HC position.
New Orleans was unable to attract serious interest from some of the top candidates in this year’s cycle, with Kliff Kingsbury withdrawing to remain with the Commanders. Aaron Glenn – who previously coached with the Saints – lined up a second interview, but his top choice on that front was the Jets and he ultimately landed the gig with New York. McCarthy was seen as a strong contender for a time, but once he elected to step away from coaching in 2025 Moore moved into pole position.
The latter has drawn head coaching interest in the past, and this deal is expected to come with a considerable raise compared to his Eagles earnings. Still, Moore will face a tall task in his new gig considering where the Saints find themselves. New Orleans has not managed to remain a Super Bowl contender in the wake of Drew Brees‘ retirement and Sean Payton‘s departure, and returning to that level will be challenging. Dennis Allen was promoted to head coach as Payton’s replacement, but he went 18-25 before being dismissed midway through the 2024 campaign.
Special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi took over from Allen on an interim basis, and he interviewed for the position on a full-time basis. Rizzi’s fate – along with that of Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka and Dolphins DC Anthony Weaver – remained undetermined leading up to the Super Bowl with Moore looming as a potential hire. By rule, teams cannot make a head coaching hire with a staffer taking part in the Super Bowl until after the game is played. Now, in Rizzi’s case, a reunion with Payton on the Broncos’ staff can be expected.
The Saints have Derek Carr atop the quarterback depth chart for the time being, but on the whole his two-year New Orleans tenure has not gone according to plan. General manager Mickey Loomis made it clear the team’s head coaching hire would have a role in deciding how to proceed with Carr, 33. The four-time Pro Bowler is set to have his base salary guaranteed at the start of the new league year in March, and he is not prepared to take a pay cut. If New Orleans elected to move on, a trade market would likely exist.
Moore and Co. could prefer to keep Carr in the fold for 2025, but in either case adding cost-effective talent and managing yet another case of salary cap gymnastics will be needed this offseason. Still, expectations will be high from a big-picture perspective for Moore to guide the team through a transition back to efficiency on offense given his track record as a coordinator. He will look to move quickly in filling out his staff while the Eagles prepare to use a fourth different OC in as many years.
Philadelphia quarterbacks coach Doug Nussmeier could be a strong internal candidate to replace Moore, but he is seen as a leading option to join Moore in New Orleans. Brandon Staley – who worked alongside Moore during their time together with the Chargers – is also a staffer to watch closely over the coming days as a potential defensive coordinator hire. In any case, the final head coaching vacancy of the 2025 hiring cycle has been filled and the Saints aim to have found a long-term answer on the sidelines.
Great hire.
Think he’ll be there for a while
I put the under/over at 3.5 years. I’m taking the under.
Carr and his 50 million puts him over his head and the bus.
Well Kellen, I hope you know what you’re getting into.
These opportunities don’t pop up every day. Gotta roll the dice when you get the chance.
5 years job security, the roster will be blamed first before anyone else. sounds like a great gig
Five years of a paycheck yes.
Five years of job security no.
What if the team gets even worse under him? Many coaches have not seen the end of their contract. It is possible only time will tell.
Yes, … good coach but, likely the worst landing spot. No QB, no money to spend. He’s in it for the long haul, or … maybe not. The franchise is a mess.
In order to hire Kellen, the Saints probably had to restructure their front office salary cap.
Way over his abilities but can’t blame him for taking the shot given the huge increase in salary. Shame it requires working for a crap organization with a nutty owner.
Going to work in the building you just won a Super Bowl in is pretty cool
But go falcons
Great hire but will be fired within 3 years. They really don’t have a bright future due to the cap, but it’s a step in the right direction acknowledging a rebuild was necessary.
Guess he didn’t want to run it back
Moore will get some head coaching experience for when a better opportunity comes.
Depends on how bad the situation really is with significant cap issues and an entrenched GM with no apparent desire to fix the problems.
whos the QB going to be?
Hopefully Carr.
They could have done a lot worse given their situation. I’m intrigued to see what he can do, but I think any questions about Moore himself pale in comparison to questions of how this organization is going to move into the future–and whether they’re willing to eat their vegetables rather than clinging desperately to the idea of being competitive right away.
I’m curious to see who follows Moore in Philly. Bobby Slowik could make a lot of sense. He got fired because of his failure with the offensive line and protections. With the Eagles, they’d have great talent and a great coach in place to keep a handle on that.
They have their in-house replacement, however, also the chance he may go with Moore. So who writes the bigger check? In Philly, he’s been here 4 years and got the “Associate Head Coach” title, which is only symbolic but it shows the brass likes you. Admittedly, being and Eagles fan I never heard of Kevin Patullo on my own home team but apparently he’s one of those in the rising star category that media and fans just isn’t privy too.
A bunch of the local know-it-all’s and blowhards already have Kellen Moore getting fired. Guessing that most of you are from the same crowd who, not so long ago, were yapping that the Eagles needed to fire the head coach, the Jalen Hurts could not lead a team to a Super Bowl win, that acquiring a big name, expensive RB was a waste of money, and that Kellen Moore was a poor hire by the Eagles. Now that missed on all those calls, you get to take your amusing misery to another topic. Play on.
Who peed in your Cheerios?
You’re mad at your dad not at me, I forgive you!
Good point. There was a lot of talk around here about Jalen Hurts and scruffy Siriano.
What I don’t understand now is why anyone is talking about releasing Derek Carr. The Saints pay him $51 million next year not to play quarterback and $52 million to play quarterback. Not the biggest Derek Carr fan in the world, but his value as QB is certainly a lot more than $1.3 million.
In 2026, keeping/cutting Carr splits to 50/50 on $61 million. That would be the time consider a parting of ways.
If they trade Carr, they save something like $11 million. If they designate him as a post June 1st cut, it saves them over $20 million. They’re way, way over the cap and not in shape to contend. They have to make some ugly moves.
Taysom Hill is as good as gone as well, along with anybody 30 or older not named Kamara with a salary in the $10 million+ range. I’d have more faith in their entire setup if they’d just bite the bullet & get in better shape with the salary cap. I can never really see them as a contender when they enter every off-season $50-70 million over the cap.