Buccaneers NFC South rival Saints zeroing in on new head coach

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers may be seeing Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore twice a year with the New Orleans Saints.

Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore on the sidelines during the first half against the Baltimore Ravens / Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers may be getting an idea of the next head coach they'll face twice a year in the NFC South.

The New Orleans Saints — a heated Buccaneers rival as of late — fired head coach Dennis Allen midway through the season after another poor start to the year. He was replaced with special teams coach Darren Rizzi, but now, they're the last team in the NFL in this coaching cycle that remains looking for a head coach.

And now, it seems like they've narrowed it down. The NFL's Ian Rapoport reported on Friday that the Saints are zeroing in on Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore to be their next head coach and the team plans to talk to him after Super Bowl LIX.

The #Saints plan to meet again with #Eagles OC Kellen Moore after Super Bowl LIX, an indication he’s the top choice for new head coach, per The Insiders.

This is the first time the two sides can speak… and Moore could just stick around, since the game is in New Orleans. pic.twitter.com/PKzt1wX8Cx

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 31, 2025

While nothing is finalized, NFL writer Tom Pelissero wrote on Twitter that the team has informed other candidates that they intend to move to Moore as their primary target.

#Saints GM Mickey Loomis informed other candidates this morning that, while there has been no final decision, he plans to continue discussions with Kellen Moore. Moore has been working on staff; he can’t be officially hired until after the Super Bowl and another meeting awaits. https://t.co/s7lvV0z1vk

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) January 31, 2025

The Buccaneers have had success against Moore in the past as an offensive coordinator. The Bucs are 2-1 against Moore during his stint as offensive coordinator of the Dallas Cowboys, with one loss coming in the Wild Card Round in 2022, and then they're 1-0 against Moore with his tenure in Philadelphia, beating the Eagles this season 33-16.

Should the Saints hire Moore, the Buccaneers will hope that 3-1 streak against Moore continues to grow. Tampa Bay has won the NFC South for four years in a row, and Moore could be in the way of a fifth with the Saints next year.

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