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New Orleans Saints News & Rumors

Saints To Interview Kellen Moore Before Super Bowl

January 26th, 2025 at 9:48pm CST by Adam La Rose

JANUARY 26: With the Eagles advancing to the Super Bowl, the Saints did not want to wait until February to speak with Moore about their head coaching vacancy. Their decision-makers will travel to Philadelphia to interview Moore in-person Monday, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, positioning him as a frontrunner for the job.

Interestingly, Moore will be in New Orleans the week after, where the Eagles will be using the Saints’ facility as they prepare for another championship matchup with the Chiefs, per Mike Triplett of NewOrleans.Football.

JANUARY 25: With Joe Brady electing to remain in place with the Bills for at least one more year, another candidate is out of the running for the Saints’ head coaching position. New Orleans is the only team with a HC vacancy, and the list of staffers still in the running is well known at this point.

Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka and Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver have now conducted second interviews with the Saints. Their in-person meeting were slightly delayed by the weather earlier this week, something which also pushed back the team’s timing regarding Mike McCarthy. The former Cowboys head coach is free to speak with the Saints at any time, but a higher priority appears to be in place.

Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football confirms McCarthy remains interested in interviewing for the Saints’ head coaching gig. Interestingly, though, he adds the team does not plan on speaking with him before conducting a second interview with Kellen Moore. The latter was unable for a meeting of any kind this week with the Eagles preparing for the NFC title game, but he can speak with the Saints next week regardless of its outcome.

On Monday, it was reported McCarthy’s interview was set to take place over the coming days. That has not proven to be the case despite his status as a coaching free agent. The 61-year-old had a Bears interview request blocked by the Cowboys while the possibility remained he would remain with Dallas for next season. McCarthy and the Cowboys ultimately parted ways, though, leaving the former Saints OC on the lookout for his next opportunity.

Shortly after the most recent McCarthy update regarding New Orleans’ search, it was learned Moore was among the targets of a second interview request. If the Eagles lose tomorrow, the former Cowboys and Chargers OC will be free to speak with New Orleans and (if offered) take the HC position at any time. Even if Philadelphia advances to the Super Bowl, Moore will be available for an in-person interview during the bye week which is in place before the game. Of course, the 35-year-old could not be hired by the Saints until after the Super Bowl if the team elected to go in that direction.

Kafka and Weaver are in the same position as McCarthy in that their timelines are not tied to this weekend’s results. Especially with that in mind, it is telling that the Saints do not intend to move forward with their search until Moore (who was at one point viewed as the frontrunner for the Cowboys’ gig) becomes available. With every other head coaching vacancy now filled, New Orleans does not have the threat of Moore taking another position and the team can therefore afford to remain patient.

Titans To Hire Dave Ziegler As Assistant GM

January 26th, 2025 at 3:56pm CST by Adam La Rose

Mike Borgonzi is in place as the Titans’ new general manager. He will not have the final say on certain roster-building fronts, but he has a number of key decisions to make regarding the rest of Tennessee’s front office.

Once it was learned Borgonzi was the Titans’ pick for GM, Dave Ziegler‘s name emerged as one to watch regarding a role of some kind on the staff. To no surprise, then, the two are set to work together in 2025. Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated reports a deal is being finalized to make Ziegler Tennessee’s next assistant general manager.

When Chad Brinker – now the Titans’ lead executive – was hired in 2023, Anthony Robinson was also brought in as an assistant GM. The latter was fired earlier this month alongside Ran Carthon, however, leaving Brinker in place to play a lead role in reshaping the Tennessee front office. Ziegler will bring notable experience to that group given his NFL tenure.

The 47-year-old’s front office career began in 2010 with the Broncos. Ziegler worked as a Denver scout for two seasons before moving on to the Patriots in 2013. During his New England tenure, he worked his way up to director of player personnel before receiving his first GM opportunity. Hired alongside Josh McDaniels, Ziegler was tasked with bring the ‘Patriot Way’ to the Raiders in 2022. Their efforts on that front did not go according to plan, though, and midway through their second season in place they were both fired.

Ziegler did not need to wait long to find his next opportunity, taking on a role with the Saints in July. As Mike Triplett of NewOrleans.Football notes, Ziegler has played a key role in the team’s ongoing head coaching search (New Orleans’ vacancy is the only one which remains around the league). His absence will therefore be felt by the Saints moving forward.

The Titans will of course be a team to watch closely as the draft approaches given Borgonzi’s stated willingness to entertain offers for the No. 1 pick. Considering Ziegler’s background in scouting, he will no doubt have a key role in evaluating the 2025 prospect class and thus in shaping the Titans’ overall plan regarding the draft. Beyond that, it will be interesting to see how he fits into the team’s front office structure.

Bills OC Joe Brady Opts To Stay In Buffalo, Pulls Out Of Saints’ HC Search

January 25th, 2025 at 11:20pm CST by Ely Allen

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.

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:

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