Tag: 2025 season

Eagles coach Nick Sirianni makes Hail Mary try at retaining Kellen Moore

Eagles coach Nick Sirianni made a Hail Mary try at retaining Kellen Moore after their Super Bowl championship: ‘Let’s run this (expletive) back’

You can’t hate a guy for trying. With another Super Bowl victory in hand and grinning players and coaches all around him, Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni took a moment to try and sustain his success a little longer.

Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore put on a show in Sunday night’s runaway win over the Kansas City Chiefs, as did veteran defensive coordinator Vic Fangio. Sirianni thanked both of them in his postgame speech but he also made a last-second, maybe halfhearted plea to Moore with green confetti raining down around him from the postgame stage.

“Kellen, you know, let’s run this (expletive) back, Kellen,” Sirianni laughed, preparing to accept the Lombardi Trophy. “Let’s run this back.”

Moore’s looming departure for the New Orleans Saints has been the elephant in the room all week. It’s been repeatedly reported that Moore is expected to become the Saints’ next head coach now that the Super Bowl is behind him, but nothing is guaranteed until he’s signed his contract. Moore will fly back to Philadelphia on Monday with the Eagles and celebrate their championship win a little longer before turning his attention back to New Orleans.

So Sirianni will have some time to work to keep his team together. Let’s see if it makes a difference.

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Kellen Moore’s stunning Super Bowl blowout is a big Saints selling point

It’s one thing to advertise your new head coach as someone who got to the Super Bowl. What Kellen Moore achieved is something else altogether:

It’s one thing to advertise your new head coach as someone who got to the Super Bowl. That message in itself resonates with young star talents like Chris Olave — but what Kellen Moore achieved on Sunday night is something else altogether. The Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator put on a clinic in Super Bowl LIX, preparing his offense to handle one of the NFL’s greatest defenses. And this performance has to be music to the New Orleans Saints’ ears.

Moore faced off with Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo and turned the clock back to 2012, when Spags’ Saints defense allowed 440 yards per game. They gave up 345 total yards to the Eagles after allowing just 320 this season. Moore’s unit put up 33 of Philly’s 40 points (not counting a pick-six by rookie defensive back Cooper DeJean), largely thanks to good play from Jalen Hurts in the pocket. A notoriously poor passer against the blitz, Hurts hung in tough against the Chiefs pass rush Spagnuolo has tooled into sending extra pressure.

You can bet Moore walking into the locker room with a Super Bowl ring on his finger will command attention. He still has to accept the Saints job, of course, but that’s long been the expectation. You play to win the game, and to get to this stage, and to win it all like Moore just did. That credibility matters in the NFL.

Outscoring the two-time Super Bowl champs and spoiling their shot at a three-peat is impressive. Doing it inside the Caesars Superdome where the Saints play their home games is meaningful. If the Saints can seal the deal and get Moore to sign a contract? If nothing else it would be a huge shift in vibes from where this team has been. Now let’s see them get across the goal line.

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Report: Saints are set to make big decision on Derek Carr’s future

NFL Network reports the New Orleans Saints are set to decide on Derek Carr’s future. But cutting him won’t be easy, and he has a lot of leverage in trade talks:

The New Orleans Saints aren’t playing today, but here’s your Sunday splash report. NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo shared some insight to the team’s big offseason decision on Derek Carr’s future with the team.

“He’s got a $10 million roster bonus that is fully guaranteed. And then he’s got another $30 million in base salary for this upcoming season that becomes guaranteed three days into the league year in March.”

There’s your deadline for the Saints to make a decision, but they’ll really need to act quicker. They’re in the red by more than $50 million and must be compliant with the salary cap no later than March 12. Carr has the heaviest salary cap hit on the team at $51.4 million. You do the math, or check here to see how the Saints could get under the cap after cutting him. It isn’t easy.

Garafolo continued: “So the Saints are gonna have to make a decision on what they want to do with Derek Carr, who does have a no-trade clause I might mention as well. The Saints (are) massively over the salary cap, what else is new, then they start to renegotiate contracts. I do know that quarterbacks who have $40 million basically in guarantees aren’t real quick to give that up. So if the Saints come to Carr and ask him to do that, I think he would resist, and then potentially could be gone.”

Carr has already made it known publicly that he would refuse to accept a pay cut. So the options are to restructure his contract and have this discussion again in 2026, or to try and work with him on a trade. Carr wouldn’t waive his no-trade clause to get from the Las Vegas Raiders to the Saints back in 2023. It’s a safe assumption he wouldn’t waive it to get from the Saints to another new team in 2025, especially if he has options waiting in free agency. That’s a scenario Garafolo sees as realistic.

“If he’s gone I would expect interest from multiple teams out there. There’s not a lot of great options both in free agency and the draft. He’ll have interest,” Garafolo finished.

Sure, the Saints could explore trading Carr. That would be less expensive than cutting him or restructuring his contract. But any team trading for him may prefer waiting to save their draft picks so they could sign him as a free agent, which would mean lowball offers for New Orleans. The quarterback has leverage here. Carr’s future may be in Kellen Moore’s hands if the Saints do officially hire him as their head coach. If Moore can see a path forward with Carr at quarterback, he’ll be back. If the new coach wants a new QB, the Saints could make it happen.

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Kellen Moore will fly back to Philly after the Super Bowl

Report: Kellen Moore is set to fly back to Philadelphia after the Super Bowl, before continuing talks for the Saints head coach job

There is something of a new development in the New Orleans Saints head coaching search, as their primary candidate Kellen Moore will be flying back home with the Philadelphia Eagles following Super Bowl LIX, per NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill. Given the game is being held in New Orleans and played at the Saints’ home stadium, it had been speculated Moore may stay behind to try and work out a deal first. But this will not be the case.

Whether Moore is celebrating a championship win with his teammates or working on exit interviews, he’ll put a pin on this Eagles season before turning attention back to the Saints.

This gives New Orleans some time to prepare for what could be the final meeting, and when it comes down to it, what they hope is the discussion that gets things over the line. While they cannot hire him until after the Super Bowl anyways, he has become the far-and-away favorite for the job as the Saints will be the last team of the cycle to hire a head coach.

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Saints coach candidate has ‘ton of respect’ for QB Derek Carr

There have been rumors about Kellen Moore not liking the Saints QB situation, but when asked, the head coach candidate said he has ‘a ton of respect’ for Derek Carr:

As the attention on Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore is in full focus this week in New Orleans before Super Bowl LIX, many local media members have been able to get a gauge for what he thinks of the Saints organization and more specifically, his thoughts on quarterback Derek Carr.

Moore, as a former Boise State standout, was asked about his matchup with Carr back in college, (a 57-7 blowout win for his Broncos) but quickly shifted to give praise to Carr and his body of work in the league.

“I’ve known Derek for a long time, tons of respect for him as a quarterback in this league. He’s had a tremendous career and done a lot of really good things,” Moore told reporters this week.

There were some reports prior to this statement regarding Moore’s potential concerns in the Saints quarterback room, however it is just about a guarantee that Carr will be the teams signal caller if Moore does take the teams head coaching job. Carr as his contract stands, will account for $51.5 million of the team’s salary cap for next season. If Carr was to be cut prior to June 1, the team would take on $50.1 million in dead money, meaning the team is more likely to restructure Carr’s and keep him than to move on from him at anytime in the near future. At least Moore is a fan of Carr’s game, if the Saints are indeed able to hire him as their new head coach.

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Demario Davis has made his retirement plans, but he isn’t leaving just yet

Demario Davis has made his retirement plans. He knows exactly how many more seasons he wants to play in the NFL, hopefully with the Saints:

How much longer will Demario Davis play for the New Orleans Saints? He gave a definitive answer to Matt Moscona for After Further Review: “My goal is to do three more years and then I’m out of here.”

Davis is in an interesting place in both his career and his positioning with the team. The Saints are more than likely going into a youth movement. Davis remains one of the best players on the Saints’ defense. If there were a veteran to predict would be safe, it’s him. There’s still the unpredictability factor of a new coach wanting to clean house.

For the first time in five years, Davis didn’t make an Associated Press All-Pro team. For all of the criticism that he has received this year, Davis still received an All-Pro vote. He still played at a high level, but he didn’t perform to the standard he set over his tenure with the Saints.

Because of that, you’ll often hear that he’s losing a step. He’s 36 years old and the oldest linebacker in the NFL, so his athleticism taking a dip is to be expected. He isn’t performing poorly, however. An athlete playing well but not at the standard they previously set is a difficult thing to grapple with.

Davis isn’t in the position where you are placing him in the “farewell tour” category, but you are preparing for life after him or getting an athletic linebacker to pair with him.

Davis plans on three more seasons and told Moscona, “I’m not planning on no drop-off going out of here.” That would place him near 40 years old and we’ve already seen a slight drop off in athleticism. We should also point out his contract expires after the 2025 season, so he’ll need another extension to bring this vision to fruition.

There seemed to be an uptick in physicality this year. Allowing Davis to not have to be as rangy by pairing him with an athletic partner could allow him to be equally as effective. It won’t be as flashy, but it could help Davis and the Saints defense in the long run.

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Saints WR Rashid Shaheed on ‘genius’ head coach candidate Kellen Moore

Rashid Shaheed has been studying New Orleans Saints head coach candidates, and he has high praise for Philadelphia Eagles OC Kellen Moore:

If the New Orleans Saints hire Kellen Moore as the next head coach, they’ll get a positive review from Rashid Shaheed. When asked about Moore, Shaheed called him a “genius,” per NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill.

Shaheed is working his way back from injury, but he along with Chris Olave are two of the most attractive pieces for an offensive minded head coach. They’re two young, dynamic receivers.

New Orleans is getting a complete overhaul this year. Klint Kubiak joined the Seattle Seahawks, so there will be a change of system even if Moore isn’t the coach. Shaheed has studied the Saints’ potential candidates this offseason. Shaheed’s description of Moore’s offense could unlock an underutilized portion of his game.

“It’s spread out. There’s a lot of space,” Shaheed said. Over the course of his career, Shaheed has primarily been used as a field-stretcher. As one of the NFL’s best deep threats, Shaheed forces teams to pick between his downfield route or Olave’s underneath route.

It’d be interesting to see if Kellen Moore’s offense can create a lot of space while using Shaheed as a catch and run threat. Olave has the speed to threaten vertically and the respect to command attention from defensive backs. That would leave the underneath receiver with room to work.

Shaheed has done so much damage getting yards before the catch, that it’s easy to not think of ways to translate his special teams prowess to the offensive game plan.

As a return specialist, he’s used to running with the ball in his hand. When Shaheed points out the space Moore’s offense creates, it’s a safe assumption he sees that as something he can benefit from.

Not using Shaheed as a threat with the ball in his hands feels like leaving meat on the bone. That could change for the dynamic receiver, in addition to still being a field stretcher.

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Saints head coach candidate Kellen Moore hints at potential staff addition

Saints head coach candidate Kellen Moore hinted at a potential staff addition. His Mizzou OC brother may ‘have a lot of really good opportunities’ very soon:

With Kellen Moore likely becoming the next head coach of the New Orleans Saints, many have wondered what a Moore-led staff would look like.

During yesterday’s media availability, Moore was asked about his younger brother Kirby who just finished his second season as the offensive coordinator for the Missouri Tigers. Kellen Moore had some high praise for his brother’s accomplishments while noting the potential for more opportunities in the near future.

If hired by New Orleans, Moore will be expected to put his coaching staff together immediately. Already behind schedule with hires being announced around the league by the day, it becomes increasingly likely that Moore will look to bring in more familiar faces. Potentially moreso than those with league experience and a strong resume. This is not to say that those options aren’t still out there, but as the last coach hired from this year’s cycle, those options become limited.

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Former Saints HC gives his opinion on Saints’ leading candidate

Sean Payton shared his opinion on Kellen Moore’s fit with the Saints, and the traits needed to succeed. He adds “there’s a standard here” for the next coach to uphold:

The New Orleans Saints are the only team left with a coaching vacancy. The expectation is the Saints are waiting on Super Bowl LIX to wrap up so they can officially hire Kellen Moore away from the Philadelphia Eagles. That didn’t stop Sean Payton from getting his jokes off.

“Are they announcing that this year or next year?” Payton asked Kay Adams in jest, joining Mark Ingram II and Cameron Jordan on set. Arguably Adams’ biggest inquiry was if Moore a good fit for New Orleans. There aren’t many, if any, people who can answer that question better than Payton. He led the Saints for over a decade to high degrees of success. Payton doesn’t run from the shadow he casts, either.

“I don’t know Kellen,” Payton remarked. “I think he’s real sharp, but there’s a standard here.” He’s obviously referencing the standard set by Payton over his tenure.

That standard has been lost recently. After three years of Dennis Allen at the helm, there are pieces of culture that are gone in addition to the lack of success.

Jordan alluded to that missing part of culture when the conversation shifted to what makes a good coach. Jordan believes a good coach can’t be “afraid to make uncomfortable situations.”

Payton shook his head with pride and replied, “That’s right. We’d make it uncomfortable every once in a while,” as he and Ingram shared a laugh. The two definitely shared tense moments, but that’s Payton’s “love language.”

There’s a growing emphasis on getting an offensive coach. Payton doesn’t subscribe to this thought process: “I don’t think it has to be offense, defense or special teams. Find someone who can lead everyone, someone who is authentic, creative.”

Creativity can come in many forms, but when you pair it with the other aspects discussed, creativity in leadership may be the most important form.

Being your authentic self allows players to believe in what’s in front of them. It’s an impassioned game. If you shy away from uncomfortable situations, you’ll struggle to lead your team through them when they inevitably arise.

For Payton, it all comes down to leading an entire team. That’s one of the biggest changes from coordinator to head coach.

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NFL confirms Steelers headed to Ireland to play in 2025

The Steelers will play the NFL’s first game in Ireland next season.

On Friday morning, the NFL confirmed that the league will play a game in Ireland in 2025 and the Pittsburgh Steelers will be a part of it. No word yet on the opponent.

This is a perfect match for the Steelers and Ireland. Pittsburgh ownership has ties to Ireland with former owner Dan Rooney serving as the US Ambassador to Ireland from 2009-2012. Pittsburgh has as huge fanbase in the country in part because of this and fans will come out strong to support them.

In terms of looking at the schedule, geography will play a role. Outside of the AFC North foes, the Steelers play the Buffalo Bills, Green Bay Packers, Indianapolis Colts, Miami Dolphins, Minnesota Vikings and Seattle Seahawks at home. Our early guesses would be the Colts or Dolphins to travel to Ireland.

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