Waiting Game for Saints

By Jim Gazzolo

It has not been a good start to the offseason for the Saints.

After a long year in which they fired their head coach, the franchise sought a new direction.

Five other NFL teams did the same thing. So, there was a battle for the head coaching pool.

Well, of the seven openings in January, six have been filled. The only one remaining unfilled is that in New Orleans.

Most of the names that have leaked out as possible candidates for the job have said thanks but no thanks. They would rather go elsewhere, stay put as coordinators, or take time off than try to rebuild the Saints. 

This is not a good look for the New Orleans team.

As the Super Bowl gets set to cast a giant spotlight on the City, the team is left in utter darkness. With an aging quarterback in Derrek Carr and salary cap issues, the job is not for the faint of heart.

There are also rumors that coaches are less than excited to work with the Saints' front office, led by general manager Mickey Loomis. Mike McCarthy, the recently fired head coach of the Dallas Cowboys, was the latest to say he wasn’t interested.

McCarthy would rather wait on the 2026 coaching cycle than pursue the Saints job. Maybe he wants a break, perhaps it’s more, but he does join an interesting list.

Aaron Glenn said nope to the Saints and went to the Jets. Kliff Kingsbury and Joe Brady said they would instead remain offensive coordinators in Washington and Buffalo than interview in New Orleans.

Meanwhile, teams like the Jets, Chicago Bears, Las Vegas Raiders, and even the Cowboys interviewed multiple people before making their selections. Again, this is not a good look for the Saints.

It may work out, but this seems to be coming down to just one guy right now. Kellen Moore, the offensive coordinator of the Philadelphia Eagles, is the front-runner in a one-horse race.

It also gives Moore the upper hand in contract talks.

Moore will get a good, long look at New Orleans this week as he gets the Eagles ready to play the Kansas City Chiefs in the big game on Sunday. The Saints have reportedly already interviewed Moore, who they obviously can’t hire until at least Monday.

So they can always come back and say Moore was our guy all along to save some face, but there is still damage in playing this waiting game.

Most of the good assistant coaches have already found new homes, leaving the Saints and, if it is Moore, putting together a group that remains on the open market. That likely leaves a lot of guys getting their first shots at top positions.

None of this is easy to sell to Saints fans, who wonder what happened to their franchise and how it all went so wrong so quickly. Many questions need to be answered.

Loomis, for his part, appears to be safe, as owner Gayle Benson has always supported him and continues to do so. However, with the general manager going nowhere and not about to give up any of his power, that is against what most coaches want these days.

So the Saints and their fans wait as somebody else plays for a championship on their home turf. 

They can only hope their next head coach will lead them back to the promised land, even if they still don’t know who that will be. 

Jim Gazzolo is a freelance writer who covers McNeese athletics. He is the host of Poke Nation on CBS-Lake Charles.