New Orleans Saints hiring Kellen Moore as next head coach

The New Orleans Saints have finally found their next head coach, deciding on Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore as the man for the job, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.

“The #Saints are finalizing a deal with Kellen Moore as their new head coach, sources tell The Insiders,” Pelissero posted on X. “GM Mickey Loomis called other candidates today to deliver the news. At age 36, coming off a Super Bowl win with the #Eagles, Moore gets his shot to run the show.”

From the start, the Saints were ahead of the pack in doing work for a new head coach, having fired Dennis Allen after a 2-7 start to the 2024 season. In the end, they ended up waiting longer than any other team, holding out for Moore after interviewing multiple candidates throughout their process.

While Moore is a promising offensive leader, he’ll be taking over a tricky situation in New Orleans. The Saints have salary cap issues they need to solve, with roughly $337 million in cap commitments for 2025.

The NFL has yet to announce where the cap will be next season, though NFL Network reported last month teams are budgeting for somewhere between $265 and $275 million — at least a $10 million increase from this season.

That means New Orleans will have to look at restructuring the contracts of several players, including center Erik McCoy, guard Cesar Ruiz and defensive end Carl Granderson. Then there’s a group of veterans — linebacker Demario Davis, defensive end Cameron Jordan, safety Tyrann Mathieu — all of whom have expected cap hits of $10-$20 million. 

But the big question for general manager Mickey Loomis and the brain-trust that’ll now include Moore is regarding the future of quarterback Derek Carr. Carr’s 2025 cap hit is $51.4 million, per Spotrac. The Saints can restructure Carr’s contract and save $30 million, but that would effectively guarantee the 33-year-old’s spot as the team’s starting quarterback in both 2025 and ’26.

Carr, who threw for 2,145 yards, 15 touchdowns and five interceptions in 10 games this season, has a no-trade clause in his contract.

Essentially, the Saints need their young players to perform while on the cheap and for Loomis to nail his Draft selections this April. That’s the quickest way to turn things around after four consecutive seasons with no playoffs. 

That’s easier said than done, but the Saints wouldn’t have waited for Kellen Moore if they didn’t believe he could handle the pressure. The 36-year-old is ready for the challenge, and that’s never been more evident than after seeing what he did with the Philadelphia Eagles over the course of this past season.

— On3’s Nick Geddes contributed to this article.