The New Orleans Saints have hired Kellen Moore as their next head coach, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The decision comes just one day before the Eagles offensive coordinator calls offense in Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans.
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 went with Kellen Moore after interviewing multiple candidates which led to them waiting beyond many other teams.
Moore is 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.
Saints enter offseason which salary cap questions
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 co. is 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.
Improving the on-field product is the next step, and that’s the expectation for Moore.
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