It sure seems like Kellen Moore will be the next Saints head coach

You don't have to be an NFL insider to conclude that it appears Eagles offense coordinator Kellen Moore is likely to become the next head coach of the New Orleans Saints after Super Bowl LIX.

The Saints announced Tuesday that they did an in-person interview with Moore Monday evening, which comes after previously having spoken to him virtually: 

We completed an in person interview with Kellen Moore for our head coach position last night. pic.twitter.com/fgZ8yQgHC3

— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) January 28, 2025

On top of that, other candidates appear to be dropping like flies. Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady declined the chance to interview a second time with the Saints, instead choosing to stay in his current post, per NFL Media's Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero. Jordan Schultz of FOX reported Tuesday that Washington Commanders' offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury — who had declined all interviews while his team was still in the postseason — will remain on Dan Quinn's staff in 2025. And then later in the evening, Pelissero and Rapoport added that Mike McCarthy "has decided to focus on the 2026 hiring cycle and will not coach in the NFL this season." There also isn't any indication currently that interim head coach Darren Rizzi is still a candidate for the position. 

Former Eagles quarterback and current New York Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka has interviewed for the position, as has Anthony Weaver, the defensive coordinator for the Miami Dolphins. But ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Tuesday night that "Moore has emerged as a lead candidate" for the position, while cautioning that "no final decision has been made by New Orleans." 

If Moore departs after the Super Bowl, it would mean that the Eagles would have their fourth offensive coordinator in as many years, and Jalen Hurts would be working with his fifth playcaller in six seasons. Doug Pederson was fired after Hurts' rookie season of 2020, with Nick Sirianni replacing him. Offensive coordinator Shane Steichen was hired to the head coach of the Indianapolis Colts after the 2022 season, with former quarterbacks coach Brian Johnson being bumped up to OC. Johnson struggled with his promotion and was fired after one year, with Moore picked as his predecessor. Heck, if you consider that Sirianni initially called plays in 2021 before handing the reigns over to Steichen, Hurts has had five different playcallers in five years. 

The biggest advantage that the 2024 Eagles have had is personnel, led by a dominant offensive line and incredible skill-position talent, including Saquon Barkley. It hasn't felt like Moore has given the Eagles a major schematic advantage, like Ben Johnson did as offensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions. However, Moore hasn't seemed in over his head like Johnson was a year ago, and when you have an offense with this much talent, just having someone component steering the ship isn't the worst thing. 

But this is a reality when you have a CEO head coach like Sirianni. If you have success, opposing teams are going to poach your coordinators. Luckily, Vic Fangio has probably been typecast as a defensive coordinator at this point. Offensively, though, this figures to be an annual exercise for the Eagles, and they found out with Johnson last year that every stone you turn over isn't going to produce a capable playcaller.