Tag: New Orleans Saints

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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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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LOOK: The Caesars Superdome is all dressed up for Super Bowl LIX

Kickoff in Super Bowl LIX is hours away, and the New Orleans Saints’ home stadium is all dressed up for the occasion. Take a look at the Caesars Superdome:

Kickoff in Super Bowl LIX is hours away, and the New Orleans Saints’ home stadium is all dressed up for the occasion. Hundreds of millions of dollars and years of work were poured into sweeping renovations to the Caesars Superdome in anticipation of this game, and all eyes will be on New Orleans when the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles bring the season to a close.

Here’s a quick look at the field and stadium before we light the fireworks on Sunday evening:

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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ESPN: Kellen Moore to accept Saints job ‘barring an unexpected breakdown’

All signs have pointed to Kellen Moore being the next Saints head coach, and the latest report from ESPN’s Adam Schefter is greater confirmation:

The New Orleans Saints are expected to take another meeting after the Super Bowl with Kellen Moore. All signs point to that being a mere formality with the Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator expected to accept the team’s head coaching job.

This has been the case for the last week since the Saints told other candidates the decision at head coach will be put off until after Super Bowl LIX. This positioned Moore as the obvious favorite. Then, reports of Moore beginning to build a coaching staff surfaced, which showcases a high level of mutual interest.

The latest update from ESPN’s Adam Schefter serves as a confirmation of previous assumptions. Schefter reported the expectation is the Saints and Moore will finalize a deal after the Super Bowl “barring an unexpected breakdown in contract talks.” Schefter said all of this during an appearance on the Pat McAfee Show early this week, but now he’s putting it in writing.

Finances being the only potential hurdle between the two sides is a great sign of where they are. As the two sit down after the Super Bowl, that shouldn’t be a hard thing to come to terms with.

New Orleans has been aggressive in their pursuit of Moore, and it should be expected for them to compensate him appropriately.

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Saints legend compares lead head coach candidate to Sean Payton

Mark Ingram II didn’t say if he likes Kellen Moore, but did assert the New Orleans Saints were at their best with an offensive minded coach like Sean Payton:

Mark Ingram II is just the latest former New Orleans Saints player to share positive words about Kellen Moore, as speculation continues to rise around the Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator becoming the next Saints head coach.

However, Ingram’s comments also introduce a new potential layer of pressure waiting for Moore in New Orleans. The former Saints running back didn’t say how he personally felt about Moore, but chose to comment on the stylistic fit in New Orleans.

“I think when Saints were at their best, we had an offensive-minded head coach in Sean Payton,” Ingram told Kay Adams this week. It’s difficult to gauge how Ingram feels about the potential hire, but he does seem to lean towards wanting an offensive-minded head coach.

The problem comes in the form of Payton’s looming shadow. The shadow wouldn’t hang over Moore in the same way it hung over Dennis Allen. Allen was the defensive coordinator under Payton, but Moore would be the first offensive-minded coach since Payton.

There will be some who feel the same way as Ingram. There are already many who see the climate of the NFL, and think offensive minded coaches are the correct choice. For New Orleans, specifically, calling back to the last coach with that type of foundation is natural.

Those comparisons should be fleeting and become nonexistent before the season. Living up to the ghost of Sean Payton immediately will be a near impossible task and is only setting him up to fall short of those standards.

Inevitably, however, there will be a section of fans who make this comparison.

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Zack Baun says playing Super Bowl in New Orleans will feel ‘poetic’

Former Saints backup Zack Baun opened up about returning to New Orleans now that he is starring in the Super Bowl for the Eagles:

The New Orleans Saints will be sitting at home on Sunday while a former draft pick leads his team’s defense during Super Bowl LIX. It’s one of the top things on that former players mind.

Zack Baun spent four years as a rotational player with the Saints only to break out into a first team All-Pro linebacker in his first campaign with the Philadelphia Eagles. Baun has not been quiet about his struggles, both on the field and mentally, during his time in New Orleans. Local Eagles writer Michael Greger asked the linebacker what it feels like going back to the city.

“I think it’s poetic. It’s a really cool thing to think about, but it’s not really special until we win,” Baun said about his return. “You know what, you have to soak it in for a little but, then at the end of the day it’s eyes on the prize on the next one. The next game is the most important game because it’s out next game.”

Baun had 151 tackles with 11 going for a loss with four passes broken up and five forced fumbles in his first starring season. He has followed that up with a stellar stretch of play in the postseason.

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Cameron Jordan, Mark Ingram, Connor Payton and a crazy 2011 draft story

Sean Payton shared a funny story about his son’s connection to the draft picks of Mark Ingram II and Cameron Jordan, two of the best players in Saints history.

Former New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton peeled back the curtain to give a look into the mindset of the New Orleans Saints going into the 2011 NFL draft. That year the Saints walked away with Mark Ingram II and Cameron Jordan in the first round.

Payton crashed Ingram and Jordan’s interview with Kay Adams and immediately relayed this story of drafting both players in a story involving Payton’s son Connor, who was in fifth grade at the time.

New Orleans always had their eyes set on Mark Ingram. Payton was so confident that he told his son they were targeting Ingram days before the draft.

In true kid fashion, Connor was telling all his friends the Saints were taking the Heisman Trophy-winning running back. However, Jordan unexpectedly dropped to the 24th pick. Plans changed.

When the Saints picked Jordan instead, Connor called Payton, and Payton had to tell his son these things happen sometimes. That was probably hard to understand at that age, but luckily for Connor, Bill Belichick called the Saints about a trade for the 28th pick.

New Orleans accepts the trade and selects Ingram. Payton called Connor back and said “there’s Mark Ingram.” It’s 14 years later, but Ingram thanked Connor for his persistence. It was delayed, but Connor still got to go

In 2011, the Saints drafted Ingram and Jordan in the span of four picks. They would go on to reach the peak of most rushing yards and sacks in team history.

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Spencer Rattler shares what he learned from Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts

Spencer Rattler reflected on the impact Jalen Hurts had on his career when they were college teammates at Oklahoma:

Super Bowl media week has been a great opportunity to hear about lots of different topics regarding former and current Saints players. One of the more recent discussions happened with 2024 rookie quarterback Spencer Rattler, who was asked what Jalen Hurts impressed on him when they were together for a year at Oklahoma, and what he learned about him.

Rattler had high praise for him: “Yeah, you know I was only around him for a year, but it was a great year for me to learn. I was a young guy, obviously he was a proven guy in college, and exactly what he was doing back then he’s doing now. You know, he’s winning, he’s serious about his craft, very focused, doesn’t play around too much and you gotta respect that and take a few things from that, learn from that.”

The two of them would overlap with the Sooners in 2019 before Hurts would go on to be drafted, while Rattler stuck around through 2021 before heading to South Carolina. While the chance to learn was only limited to one season, it is clear that Rattler took a lot from him based on this quote.

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Options emerge as DC for Kellen Moore if he becomes Saints head coach

ESPN reports there are two candidates emerging as options for defensive coordinator on Kellen Moore’s New Orleans Saints staff — assuming he takes the job:

The New Orleans Saints have cleared house on their coaching staff, as they now have vacancies at most of the major positions. One of the ones that most recently opened up was at defensive coordinator, as Joe Woods has left for the Las Vegas Raiders to join Pete Carroll’s staff.

The likely scenario here is that the Saints have chosen to let many of their coaches seek out other positions, laterally or otherwise, to allow whoever their new head coach may be to select their own staff altogether. Given Kellen Moore is the frontrunner for the position as of now, he has received much speculation when it comes to adding further staff behind him.

Per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, there are two candidates who are seen as likely fits for the defensive coordinator spot: “Two names I’ve heard as possibilities at defensive coordinator are 49ers assistant coach Brandon Staley and Buccaneers outside linebackers coach George Edwards. Both have history with Moore — Staley hired Moore as his offensive coordinator with the Chargers in 2023, and Moore overlapped with Edwards in Dallas.”

Fowler also notes Matt Eberflus and Klayton Adams as options that could have come to fruition if not already hired by the Cowboys. Staley has been one of the names thrown around for a little while now given the direct connection, however Edwards is somewhat of a new addition to the group. He has extensive experience in the league including three stints as a defensive coordinator previously, so he could very well be in the running here as well.

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