Two days after helping the Philadelphia Eagles to a 40–22 Super Bowl LIX victory over the Kansas City Chiefs at Caesars Superdome, Kellen Moore reportedly has agreed to return to New Orleans next season—as the Saints' new leader on the sidelines.
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported Tuesday that the Saints hired the former Eagles offensive coordinator as the 12th full-time head coach in franchise history.
Moore, who appeared in three games at quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys in 2015, began his coaching career with Dallas as the quarterbacks coach in '18. He was promoted to offensive coordinator in '19 and spent four years there before serving the same role with the Los Angeles Chargers in '23 and the Eagles in '24.
Moore's offenses have finished among the top 10 NFL teams in terms of points and/or yards in four of his six years as a coordinator. In 2024, the Eagles ranked eighth in total yards per game (367.2) and seventh in points per game (27.2). Philadelphia also featured the second-best rushing attack in the league (179.3 yards per game) led by Saquon Barkley, who set the all-time NFL record for most rushing yards in the regular season and playoffs combined (2,504 yards).
The 36-year-old Moore has his work cut out for him in New Orleans, which hasn't made the playoffs in the last four years.
New Orleans fired coach Dennis Allen on Nov. 4 after suffering a seventh straight loss—a 23–22 defeat at the hands of the Carolina Panthers. Special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi took over as the interim head coach in Week 10 and led the Saints to three wins in eight games the rest of the way to finish with a 5–12 record—the franchise's first last-place finish in the NFC South since 2008.
The Saints, who enter the offseason about $60 million over the salary cap, have a big decision to make at quarterback in Derek Carr, who is on the books the biggest cap hit on the roster at $51.4 next season. New Orleans could try to restructure his deal or part ways via a trade partner or release.
It's an important offseason in "The Big Easy." But now, the Saints have checked off a big box with their offensive-minded head coach in place.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Saints Hire Kellen Moore As New Head Coach.
