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New Orleans Saints News & Rumors

Saints Planning On Second Interviews With Joe Brady, Kellen Moore

January 22nd, 2025 at 9:18pm CST by Ely Allen

As other head coaching gigs around the league are starting to fill up, the Saints are continuing on with the process to fill their vacancy. The team recently reported their intent to schedule second interviews with Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka and Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver, as well as a first meeting with former Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network added today that New Orleans will also be looking to meet for a second time with Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady and Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore. Both coaches interviewed with the team last week before their respective divisional matchups in the playoffs. With both coaches advancing, the Saints’ opportunity to interview each coach again may have to wait until after this weekend’s conference championship games, when one or both coaches either will be eliminated from the playoffs or will have a two-week break before the Super Bowl.

Brady has been on staff in New Orleans before, though he did not hold a high-ranking post during his past stint with the team. He served as a Saints offensive assistant from 2017-18. Brady has since been on the rise, a climb that began when he served as pass-game coordinator for LSU’s unbeaten 2019 national champion team. After being fired from his post as Panthers OC, Brady has rebounded in Buffalo. Josh Allen has submitted his best all-around season, piloting the Bills to a third straight AFC No. 2 seed under Brady. The Bills ranked second in scoring this season and have beaten both the Lions and Chiefs.

Moore just completed his first regular season as Philly’s offensive coordinator. While the Eagles failing to improve on their 2023 offensive rankings, they still matched an impressive offensive output (seventh in points, eighth in yards). Under Moore, Saquon Barkley had an historic season. Moore has previously been lauded for his offensive approach in stops with the Chargers and Cowboys, as well.

While Moore’s first interview with the Saints was his first of the current interview cycle, he isn’t a stranger to the head coaching interview circuit. He’s earned interviews in each of the past three offseasons, including meetings with the Chargers (2024), Panthers (2023), Broncos, Dolphins, Jaguars, and Vikings (2022). He’s since interviewed with the Jaguars and Cowboys this offseason, and he is considered a frontrunner for the job in Dallas.

Here’s how the head coaching search is shaping up in the Big Easy:

Jets Submit ‘Substantial’ Offer To Aaron Glenn; Mark Brunell In Play As OC

January 22nd, 2025 at 10:22am CST by Sam Robinson

Barring an upset, Aaron Glenn is on track to become head coach for the Jets — the team that drafted him nearly 31 years ago. The cornerback-turned-DC has been connected to potential staffers, but confirmation of a hire has proven elusive as of Wednesday morning.

However, Bovada’s Josina Anderson reports that Glenn has given the Lions some notice about his plans. Glenn made it known Tuesday he was planning to take the Jets job, per Anderson, who does add the phrase “barring a setback or flub,” providing a bit of pause before the goal line here. Still, Glenn is viewed as the clear favorite to take over in New York.

The Jets have made Glenn a “substantial offer” to become their next HC, per Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz, who adds the four-year Lions DC landed back in Detroit on Tuesday night. Although Jets ownership has offered recent reasons for hesitancy from HC candidates, Glenn appears near the end of this process. A decision is imminent.

Mark Brunell, who also enjoyed a stint with the Jets (albeit one of lesser prominence compared to Glenn’s), appears in the mix to become Glenn’s OC if/when the AFC East team finalizes a deal with its head coach of choice. Brunell would be part of Glenn’s staff if the high-end candidate had his way, Schultz adds, though this is also contingent on the Lions not promoting him. The Lions would be unable to block Brunell from becoming the Jets’ OC, as it would come with a play-calling role. Brunell has been Detroit’s QBs coach throughout Dan Campbell‘s tenure.

Brunell and Glenn did not overlap in New York as players, with the QB wrapping his career with the team in the early 2010s — well after Glenn left once the Jets exposed him in the 2002 Texans expansion draft. But the two have coached together for four seasons. Glenn has also been connected to Klint Kubiak, Steve Wilks, Nick Caley and Scott Turner as potential assistants.

A Tuesday snowstorm in the south also may impact Glenn’s Jets candidacy. The Saints have pushed back their HC interviews because of the storm, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets. The other team closely connected to Glenn, New Orleans had Glenn and Dolphins DC Anthony Weaver on its Wednesday docket previously. Those interviews, along with an in-person meeting with Giants OC Mike Kafka, are now slated for later in the week.

The Jets will naturally attempt to prevent Glenn from taking that meeting. Glenn, the Saints’ DBs coach from 2016-20, was mentioned as an early frontrunner with the NFC South team. The longer this process is delayed with the Jets, the murkier his future becomes due to the Saints’ interest.

Steve Wilks, Nick Caley, Scott Turner, Klint Kubiak Among Potential Aaron Glenn Jets Targets

January 21st, 2025 at 3:27pm CST by Adam La Rose

3:27pm: Saints OC Klint Kubiak is another name to watch on this front, Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic reports. Kubiak met with the Browns for their offensive coordinator position prior to the team’s decision to promote Tommy Rees. He does not have a history of working with Glenn, but the 37-year-old would make for an interesting addition to the Jets’ staff if he were to be brought in.

1:14pm: Aaron Glenn is set to take part in his second Jets head coaching interview today, and he represents the team’s top target. A deal could be reached at any time as a result, and a few interesting names have emerged with respect to coaches who could find themselves on a Glenn-led staff.

On the defensive side of the ball, SNY’s Connor Hughes notes that Steve Wilks will be a name to watch. Wilks will be a potential defensive coordinator candidate for New York in the event Glenn is hired as head coach. The latter is currently the Lions’ DC, but there is of course no guarantee he would continue calling plays if he were to take on the Jets’ head coaching position.

Wilks has a coaching background dating back to 1995, and he has been on an NFL sideline for all but three seasons since 2005. The 55-year-old has been a full-time head coach on one occasion in addition to a pair of defensive coordinator gigs at the pro level. The most recent of those was in 2023 with the 49ers, a position Wilks took after he did not receive the Panthers’ full-time HC gig . San Francisco moved on from him after last year’s Super Bowl, and he was out of coaching for this season.

With respect to potential offensive coordinators, Hughes reports Glenn has been in contact with at least two candidates. Nick Caley is one of them; the soon-to-be 42-year-old is currently in place on the Rams’ staff. Caley spent eight years with the Patriots, with much of that time coming as the team’s tight ends coach. He continued in that role last year upon arrival in Los Angeles, but this season he took on the additional title of pass game coordinator.

Caley does not have experience as an offensive coordinator, but Scott Turner does. The latter is the other name Glenn has been in contact with, per Hughes. Turner took over as interim OC for the Raiders after Luke Getsy‘s midseason firing, and he has not been connected to any NFL coordinator vacancies in the time following head coach Antonio Pierce‘s dismissal. Turner is, however, a candidate to join Bill Belichick‘s North Carolina staff.

It remains to be seen (for the time being, at least) if Glenn will indeed be hired by the Jets. If that does take place, though, it will be interesting to see if the candidates he has been in contact with will wind up following him to New York.

Broncos, Other Teams Interested In Darren Rizzi For ST Coordinator

January 21st, 2025 at 12:26pm CST by Adam La Rose

Darren Rizzi does not appear to be on track to land one of the remaining head coaching positions in this year’s hiring cycle. The Saints’ special teams coordinator is nevertheless an in-demand staffer at the moment.

In the wake of the Bears reaching an agreement with Ben Johnson to become their next head coach, it was learned Rizzi is on the team’s radar. He is a candidate to serve as Chicago’s special teams coordinator moving forward, something which would displace incumbent Richard Hightower. The Bears could have competition for Rizzi’s services, though.

Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune notes the Broncos are attempting to hire Rizzi for their own special teams coordinator position. Denver moved on from Ben Kotwica last week after he spent two seasons in that role. Head coach Sean Payton has been in place with the Broncos since the start of the 2023 campaign, but in that time he has made several moves aimed to reuniting with players and coaches from his time with the Saints. As a result, Rizzi was named as a candidate to watch closely once Kotwica was dismissed.

Biggs adds that two other teams also “believed to be in the mix” for Rizzi. The 54-year-old took over as New Orleans’ interim head coach after Dennis Allen was fired. The two could reunite in Chicago (in the event Allen were to take over as defensive coordinator), but Rizzi is still in contention for the Saints’ head coaching position. Lions DC Aaron Glenn has a second HC interview lined up, although he appears to be on track to take charge of the Jets if things go according to plan. Provided that turns out to be the case, Rizzi will still be in the running for New Orleans as well as outside ST coordinator gigs.

According to Biggs, it is unclear at this point how likely it is that Rizzi could come to Chicago. For the time being, Hightower remains in place and Biggs notes he could be retained as part of Johnson’s initial Bears staff. The team showed improvement in the third phase down the stretch that year, and it will be interesting to see if Johnson opts for continuity for 2025.

Saints To Meet With Mike McCarthy

January 20th, 2025 at 1:40pm CST by Sam Robinson

JANUARY 20: The Saints plan to interview McCarthy in person this week, per Terrell and colleagues Courtney Cronin and Kalyn Kahler. New Orleans has moved quickly in arranging second interviews with other candidates; in-person meetings are on the books for Mike Kafka and Anthony Weaver, as well as Aaron Glenn. McCarthy’s Saints summit will be his first interview of course, but once it takes place it will be interesting to see if New Orleans (or Chicago, for that matter) pursues a hire in his case.

JANUARY 14: Not conducting the kind of wide-ranging search the Bears and Jets are, the Saints are still expected to expand their candidate pool. The Cowboys’ decision not to renew Mike McCarthy‘s contract will end up affecting multiple HC-needy teams during this cycle.

McCarthy is expected to meet with the Saints next week about their HC vacancy, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports. This interview will take place several days after McCarthy’s Bears summit, which is scheduled for Wednesday. McCarthy and the Saints have not yet settled on an interview date, but a meeting is on tap nonetheless.

This meeting comes after a report had the Saints monitoring McCarthy’s Cowboys situation. While Aaron Glenn is viewed as a strong candidate to return to Louisiana, McCarthy is now officially in that mix. The 61-year-old coach also has ties to the Saints, having been their OC from 2000-04. GM Mickey Loomis, the second-longest-tenured pure GM in NFL history, began his Saints run during McCarthy’s time in New Orleans.

It says a lot about McCarthy’s credentials (and perhaps this year’s tepid HC market) that he has remained on the HC radar for this long. The Packers first hired him in 2006, and he lasted 13 seasons in the role. Winning Super Bowl XLV with Green Bay, McCarthy became known for postseason letdowns henceforth. His five-year Cowboys HC stay extended that franchise’s NFC championship game drought, with Jerry Jones citing a 2023 wild-card upset against the Packers as a central reason why his contract was never extended. That said, McCarthy led the Cowboys to three straight 12-win seasons. While the NFL’s expansion to 17 games helped here, the Cowboys had not won 12 games in three consecutive years since the mid-1990s.

Contract length became the main sticking point for the Cowboys and McCarthy. Considering Jones’ reluctance to authorize a new deal for McCarthy in 2024, thus making him the rare (for non-Cowboys teams, that is) lame-duck HC, it would have been surprising if Dallas was willing to offer a long-term deal after a seven-win season. McCarthy also carried unusual leverage late in his Cowboys tenure due to outside interest, and two NFC teams will capitalize on his newfound coaching free agency by interviewing him. The Bears had attempted to schedule a McCarthy interview while he was still under Cowboys contract. The NFC East team nixed that meeting, but true negotiations never happened, and the Cowboys ultimately moved on.

No Saints interview request came during McCarthy’s final days on his Cowboys contract. The NFC South team has not been connected to nearly as many names, and a recent report indicated the team is not likely to expand its list. Though, McCarthy and Kliff Kingsbury are now part of it. Loomis said adding more names is “possible,” via ESPN.com’s Katherine Terrell.

The early-2000s Saints stint marked McCarthy’s first OC job, and it started off well. Despite losing starter Jeff Blake to injury during the 2000 season, the Saints rallied to the playoffs behind second-year QB Aaron Brooks. The team then notched its elusive first playoff win, over the defending champion Rams. New Orleans, however, did not make the playoffs again during Jim Haslett‘s tenure. The Saints did still rank in the top 14 offensively in each McCarthy season. By 2005, McCarthy was in San Francisco as 49ers OC. The Loomis connection remains, thanks to the GM now going into his 24th season at the controls in New Orleans.

Via PFR’s Head Coaching Search Tracker, here is how the Saints’ HC search looks as of Tuesday afternoon:

Aaron Glenn Lines Up Second Interview With Jets, Saints

January 20th, 2025 at 12:08pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Lions’ upset loss on Saturday has made Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn available for head coaching hires earlier than expected. In the latter’s case, at least, things are developing quickly with respect to HC opportunities.

Detroit’s defensive coordinator has a second interview lined up with the Jets, as first reported by Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo of NFL Network. This will be an in-person meeting, something permitted for all candidates whose seasons have come to an end. Glenn obviously falls into that category, and it comes as no surprise New York has quickly arranged a follow-up to his first interview.

The 52-year-old was among the first staffers to speak with the Jets as part of their wide-ranging coaching search. That process is ongoing, but this marks the first known candidate to arrange a second interview with the team. Glenn spent the first eight seasons of his playing career with the Jets, earning two of his three Pro Bowls during that stretch. A reunion has been considered a strong possibility given his connections to the franchise and the degree to which he is sought after as a 2025 HC candidate.

Rapoport notes the Saints are expected to speak again with Glenn. Indeed, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer reports Glenn will meet with New York tomorrow and New Orleans on Wednesday. Both of those teams were named as the leading contenders to hire Glenn last week, and obviously that remains the case at this point. Prior to taking on his current Lions DC position, he spent five years as the Saints’ defensive backs coach.

As a result, Glenn will be a familiar face in the event he takes either head coaching position. The Jets’ list of finalists will no doubt grow over the coming days, however, and the Saints have already arranged a pair of follow-ups of their own. Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka and Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver are set to conduct a second interview with New Orleans this week. Glenn will join them in that respect, and once his upcoming meetings have taken place it will be interesting to see how things unfold.

Glenn and Johnson represent two major dominoes in the overall coaching landscape. Both are serious contenders to be hired in this year’s cycle, and further movement (aside from the Patriots’ decision to being in Mike Vrabel, of course) may have to wait until their futures are settled. In Glenn’s case, taking charge in New York or New Orleans remains a distinct possibility.

Saints Schedule Second HC Interviews With Mike Kafka, Anthony Weaver

January 20th, 2025 at 8:57am CST by Adam La Rose

Many coaches whose seasons are now over are free to interview for head coaching vacancies around the league. The Saints’ search is ongoing, but its second phase will include a pair of staffers who did not work for playoff teams in 2024.

Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka has a second interview scheduled with the Saints for Tuesday. Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver will speak with New Orleans for a second time on Wednesday, Pelissero adds. Neither staffer has been a head coach at the college or NFL levels before, but they are now both finalists for this position.

Kafka has been a regular name to watch for head coaching vacancies dating back to previous hiring cycles. The 37-year-old has spent his last three years with the Giants, but a January report noted he could be let go in the event head coach Brian Daboll were to be retained. The latter is indeed set to remain in place for 2025, but for now Kafka is still part of New York’s staff.

Weaver, 44, has spent time on six different NFL staffs since 2012. He has extensive experience as a defensive line coach, but during his final two seasons with the Ravens he also had the title of associate head coach. Weaver took over as Miami’s DC for 2024, and the team delivered a notable performance on that side of the ball. The Dolphins finished ninth in the NFL against the run and pass, ranking fourth in total defense and 10th in points allowed. Weaver, like Kafka, was among the first candidates to interview with the Saints in the team’s initial round of meetings.

New Orleans moved on from Dennis Allen after Week 9, leaving him with an overall record of 18-25 as Sean Payton‘s successor. Special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi handled interim HC duties the rest of the way, a span in which the Saints dealt with numerous major injuries and went 3-5. Several candidates (including Rizzi) have interviewed for the full-time position in recent days, and coaches on teams eliminated in the divisional round can meet in person starting today. In the case of Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn in particular, that could be especially noteworthy.

Via PFR’s search tracker, here is an updated look at the Saints’ situation:

Updated 2025 NFL Draft Order

January 19th, 2025 at 10:00pm CST by Ely Allen

Two weekends of playoff football have come and gone, providing us with 10 more draft slots cemented into position as NFL teams continue to be eliminated from the playoffs. The top 18 picks were already divvied up at the conclusion of the regular season to the teams who failed to make the playoffs, while picks 19-28 have been determined over the past two weeks.

For non-playoff teams, the draft order has been determined by the inverted 2024 standings plus a series of tiebreakers, starting with strength of schedule. The playoff squads are being slotted by their postseason outcome and the reverse order of their regular-season record.

The league’s Super Wild Card weekend resulted in the elimination of Chargers, Steelers, Broncos, Packers, Buccaneers, and Vikings after their respective losses. Tampa Bay benefitted from the three-way tie in record with Denver and Pittsburgh, just as the Chargers did over the Packers.

The divisional round of the playoffs resulted in the elimination of the Texans, Rams, Ravens, and Lions. This time, Houston held the tiebreaker over Los Angeles, gifting it higher draft priority.

We are still at a place that, for the first time since the league expanded to 32 teams in 2002, there is a chance that every team drafts in the first round, as no first-round picks have yet been traded. It’s extremely unlikely that this will remain the case, as draft-day trades are a very common occurrence, but it’s still an interesting concept to note this close to the draft.

Here is how the draft order looks following two weeks of playoff football:

  1. Tennessee Titans (3-14)
  2. Cleveland Browns (3-14)
  3. New York Giants (3-14)
  4. New England Patriots (4-13)
  5. Jacksonville Jaguars (4-13)
  6. Las Vegas Raiders (4-13)
  7. New York Jets (5-12)
  8. Carolina Panthers (5-12)
  9. New Orleans Saints (5-12)
  10. Chicago Bears (5-12)
  11. San Francisco (6-11)
  12. Dallas Cowboys (7-10)
  13. Miami Dolphins (8-9)
  14. Indianapolis Colts (8-9)
  15. Atlanta Falcons (8-9)
  16. Arizona Cardinals (8-9)
  17. Cincinnati Bengals (9-8)
  18. Seattle Seahawks (10-7)
  19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (10-7)
  20. Denver Broncos (10-7)
  21. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-7)
  22. Los Angeles Chargers (11-6)
  23. Green Bay Packers (11-6)
  24. Minnesota Vikings (14-3)
  25. Houston Texans (10-7)
  26. Los Angeles Rams (10-7)
  27. Baltimore Ravens (12-5)
  28. Detroit Lions (15-2)
  29. Washington Commanders (12-5)
  30. Buffalo Bills (13-4)
  31. Philadelphia Eagles (14-3)
  32. Kansas City Chiefs (15-2)

NFL Staff Rumors: Allen, Sanders, Williams, Panthers, Saints

January 19th, 2025 at 8:21pm CST by Ely Allen

Former Jets interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich was hired to rejoin his old coworker, Raheem Morris, in Atlanta as defensive coordinator. This threw a wrench in some other plans in coaching searches around the league. Specifically, two teams that viewed him as a defensive coordinator candidate will have to look elsewhere to fill the position.

After Ulbrich filled in for a fired Robert Saleh in New York, he was likewise being viewed as a backup candidate for defensive coordinator behind Saleh in San Francisco. The 49ers are hoping to hire Saleh back to his old job as their defensive play-caller. Saleh is still interviewing for some open head coaching positions, though, and in case he becomes unavailable, Ulbrich was seemingly the second option.

The second team watching Ulbrich was whatever team ends up hiring former Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Johnson had Ulbrich tabbed as the potential defensive coordinator on his first staff as an NFL head coach. Rapoport claims former Saints head coach Dennis Allen is the new name to look out for to join Johnson’s first staff.

Here are a few other rumors in staff conversations around the NFL:

  • As more and more hurdles continue to present themselves in the Cowboys‘ pursuit of Colorado head coach Deion Sanders, it’s beginning to seem like him becoming their next head coach is an unlikely scenario. According to another Rapoport report, the NFL Network reporter claimed he “would be surprised — probably very surprised — if (a formal interview) did, in fact, get scheduled.”
  • New Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel hasn’t spoken much of how much of the existing staff in New England will be salvaged, but the understanding seems to be that, like in most new head coaching situations, Vrabel will likely be replacing both coordinators. According to ESPN’s Mike Reiss, one name to watch for defensive coordinator is Lions defensive line coach and run-game coordinator Terrell Williams. Williams was one of Vrabel’s most-trusted assistants during his time as head coach in Tennessee, where Williams served as assistant head coach in addition to his duties as defensive line coach. Especially with the likely turnover expected on the defensive staff in Detroit, it makes perfect sense that Williams would explore the opportunity to take his first coordinator position.
  • The Panthers are reportedly moving on from passing game coordinator Nate Carroll, son of former Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. Joe Person of The Athletic confirmed the report, adding that the team does not expect Carroll back in any capacity.
  • Switching for moment from coaching staffs to the front office, Saints general manager Mickey Loomis addressed the consistency of staff in the team’s personnel department. Amidst questions concerning job security, Loomis claimed that “he loves (vice president/assistant general manager — college personnel) Jeff Ireland and (director of pro personnel) Michael Parenton in their” current roles, per Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football. While he does expect changes and tweaks in their processes and procedures, Irelend and Parenton’s jobs appear secure.

Saints’ Paulson Adebo Expecting Training Camp Return; CB Addresses Free Agency

January 19th, 2025 at 1:42pm CST by Adam La Rose

One of several key contributors who missed considerable time in 2024 for the Saints was Paulson Adebo. The fourth-year corner continues to recover from a broken femur as he approaches his first trip to free agency.

Adebo suffered his injury in mid-October and immediately underwent surgery. His absence was strongly felt given his status as a full-time starter, something which became especially true once the Saints traded away Marshon Lattimore. Replacing the latter’s production will be a key offseason priority, and another CB move will be needed if Adebo leaves on the open market.

While his future is uncertain at the moment, Adebo recently noted (via ESPN’s Katherine Terrell) he is progressing well in his recovery and expects to be healthy by training camp. The 25-year-old’s return to full health would of course be welcomed by the Saints if he is still a member of the team by the summer. Adebo hopes to remain in New Orleans on his next contract, but he admitted a departure is a possibility.

“At the end of the day, it’s a business. I love New Orleans, I love the opportunity they gave me,” the former third-rounder said. “So there’s no ill intent or animosity. It’s really just about finding the best fit. If it’s the best fit here, then boom. It’s a two-way street, it’s not completely up to me. It has to work both ways.”

Adebo handled a notable 76% defensive snap share as a rookie and he has hardly left the field when healthy in the three years since. The Stanford product amassed four interceptions and 18 pass deflections in 2023, and he was on his way to matching that ball production this year prior to his injury. After being charged with 11 touchdowns allowed in coverage across his first two campaigns, Adebo has given up only two as the nearest defender since the start of last season.

As a result, he could have a healthy market in free agency should he have the opportunity to speak with other teams. New Orleans does not have a long list of key pending free agents compared to other teams this spring. As always, though, major financial maneuvering will be needed over the coming weeks on the part of general manager Mickey Loomis (the Saints are currently projected to be more than $50MM over the cap for next year). It will be interesting to see if talks take place shortly on a new Adebo pact or if he will ultimately find a new home in time for the 2025 season.

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