Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore is among the leading candidates to land the New Orleans Saints’ head coaching vacancy, but it reportedly may not be a sure thing that Moore wants the job.
Speaking on her Scoop City podcast (beginning at the 24-minute mark) on Friday, Dianna Russini of The Athletic said there is “scuttlebutt” Moore may balk if offered the job due to the Saints’ quarterback situation.
However, Russini added that there is belief Moore has “come around” on the idea of coaching the Saints since the Saints know they need a year to rebuild the roster and don’t expect a coach to come in and have success in Year 1.
Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football (h/t SI.com’s Mike Kadlick) reported this week that the Saints have “no plans to interview anyone else,” for their opening, meaning their pool of candidates is down to two.
With former Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy removing himself from consideration, every indication is that the Saints’ next head coach will either be Moore or New York Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka.
Underhill suggested that Moore is the preferred choice and the likely next head coach, provided he accepts the job.
The Saints are the only team that still has a head coaching vacancy, and typically when teams wait this long, it is because they intend to hire someone who is coaching in the Super Bowl.
Moore helped orchestrate one of the best rushing attacks in the NFL this season, as the Eagles ranked second in rushing yardage and second in rushing touchdowns behind Saquon Barkley’s 2,005 yards and 13 scores.
Overall, the Eagles were eighth in total offense and seventh in scoring offense, and they finished 14-3 during the regular season.
Moore was previously the Cowboys’ offensive coordinator from 2019 to 2022 and the Los Angeles Chargers’ OC in 2023. In Dallas, he twice coached the No. 1 offense in the league in terms of yardage, and they were sixth or better in scoring on three occasions.
The Saints have missed the playoffs in four straight seasons and veteran Derek Carr does not appear to be the long-term answer at quarterback, but Moore’s history of success as an offensive coach could potentially allow him to get the most out of Carr until the Saints find their franchise guy under center.