Saints Want To Talk With Eagles Coach

The New Orleans Saints are interested in talking with Kellen Moore about their head-coaching vacancy.

Eagles OC Kellen Moore / John McMullen/Eagles on SI

PHILADELPHIA - The New Orleans Saints have requested permission to interview Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore for their head-coaching position, according to NFL Media.

Moore, 36, was brought into Philadelphia to replace Brian Johnson after the disappointing finish to the 2023 season and is the third OC in the four-year Nick Sirianni era after Shane Steichen, now the head coach in Indianapolis, and Johnson, who landed on his feet as the assistant head coach/passing game coordinator for Washington.

It was somewhat of a strange season for Moore in that the Eagles' offense finished with great numbers (No. 8 overall, seventh in points per game, second in rushing, and No. 1 time of possession) but the product wasn't what was being advertised back in the spring and summer when it came to the evolution of motion in the offense and scheming receivers open.

The highlights of the offense were Saquon Barkley becoming the ninth 2,000-yard rusher in NFL history, and Jalen Hurts' 103.7 passer rating.

On the surface, however, it doesn't feel like Moore is a top-tier candidate out of the gates in this hiring cycle which is good for the Eagles but something that could also change with a significant January run. Philadelphia starts the playoffs on Sunday against the 11-6 Green Bay Packers.

The NFL rules were tweaked this year and assistant coaches on teams that play during Wild Card Weekend can interview virtually three days after their team plays. That means Moore can speak to the Saints virtually on Jan. 15 even if the Eagles beat the Packers.

Despite his youthful age, this is Moore's sixth season as an NFL OC. After finishing a six-year playing career as a backup quarterback with Detroit and Dallas, Moore immediately went from player to coach with the Cowboys, handing the Dallas QB room. He was quickly elevated to OC with the Cowboys in 2019 and held that position through 2022. From there it was a one-year stint with the Los Angeles Chargers and on to Philadelphia.

Moore piloted several explosive offenses in Dallas and his teams have typically ranked highly on the offensive side. He's also not a stranger to head-coaching interviews and spoke to the Eagles about their vacancy in 2021 before Sirianni got the job.

The issue in losing Moore would be another shift at play-caller. Over his five NFL seasons, Hurts has had five different play-callers (Doug Pederson, Sirianni, Steichen, Johnson, and Moore).

The Saints fired head coach Dennis Allen after getting off to a 2-7 start this season. They went 3-5 the rest of the way under interim coach Darren Rizzi.

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