The New Orleans Saints are the last of seven NFL teams to fill a head-coaching vacancy this offseason. The team’s lengthy wait is finally over, with a key figure from its Super Bowl victory set to head back to the city.
The Saints on Tuesday hired Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore as their next coach. The team had already zeroed in on Moore as its front-runner but could not complete an agreement until after Eagles completed their season Sunday with its 40-22 win over the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl 59.
Eagles coach Nick Sirianni teased Moore after the game with a public plea to come back.
‘Let’s run this (expletive) back, Kellen,’ Sirianni said with a laugh.
Moore, 36, will become the NFL’s youngest head coach, a title previous held by the Seattle Seahawks’ Mike Macdonald, 37.
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A backup quarterback for the Detroit Lions (2012-14) and Dallas Cowboys (2015-17), Moore immediately pivoted from his playing days into a coaching career by taking on the job of quarterbacks coach for the Cowboys in 2018, serving as a trusted and familiar voice for starter Dak Prescott. He was elevated to offensive coordinator a year later and remained in the role after Mike McCarthy’s hiring in 2020. His units twice led the league in total yards and ranked in the top six for scoring in three of his four seasons as coordinator, with the lone exception coming in a 2020 campaign in which Prescott was lost after five games to a compound fracture and dislocation of his right ankle.
After the Cowboys’ divisional-round playoff exit, however, Moore and the team parted ways, with McCarthy taking over play-calling duties. Moore served as the Los Angeles Chargers’ offensive coordinator for one year before joining the Eagles. He orchestrated an attack that ranked second in rushing, with All-Pro running back Saquon Barkley leading the charge by racking up 2,005 rushing yards in the regular season.
The Saints, who fired coach Dennis Allen in November after a 2-7 start, had several candidates drop out of the running for their opening. Former Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, who was an assistant in New Orleans under Sean Payton from 2016-20, opted to take the New York Jets’ top job after having been scheduled for a second interview with the Saints. Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady withdrew from consideration after a virtual interview with the team, and Washington Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury opted not to pursue the position. McCarthy, who parted ways with the Cowboys after five years, also backed out, choosing instead to focus on next year’s hiring cycle.
Set to be $54 million over the salary cap in 2025, according to Over The Cap, the Saints will once again face an offseason of reshuffling and restructuring. Quarterback Derek Carr, who played in a career-low 10 games due to an oblique injury and a fractured left hand, is set to have a cap hit in excess of $51 million, with a $10 million roster bonus due in mid-March. Releasing him would incur a $50 million dead cap hit.
Several longtime franchise stalwarts – including defensive end Cameron Jordan, right tackle Ryan Ramczyk and tight end Taysom Hill – also face uncertain futures.
The Eagles, meanwhile, will have their fourth different offensive coordinator in four years. Moore and Shane Steichen (2022) both landed head-coaching jobs, and the team parted ways with Brian Johnson (2023).
This story has been updated with additional information.