The Saints are officially sealing the deal with Kellen Moore, the former Cowboys assistant.
FRISCO – Former Dallas Cowboys assistant Kellen Moore is slated to be the next head coach of the New Orleans Saints, with a national report early on Super Bowl Sunday saying a final decision has been made by both parties.
Moore, who interviewed with Dallas before Jerry and Stephen Jones opted to promote offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer to McCarthy’s old office, first has to finish with job with the Philadelphia Eagles, who are about to take on the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl.
But then? As the Saints officially seal the deal with Moore, his Job 1 will be – as it often is in the NFL – all about the quarterback.
Two offseasons ago, the Saints signed Derek Carr to a four-year, $150 million contract. Is he the answer going forward? He’d increase the likelihood of that if he was willing to reduce that salary, maybe, but …
“I wouldn’t take a pay cut,” Carr told ESPN recently. “Yeah, I wouldn’t do that. Especially with what I put on tape. Would I restructure? Absolutely. I’ll always help the team that way. But there’s some things that you put out there that you earned … I wouldn’t take anything less to do this.
“It’s hard enough putting our bodies through it. And you’re trying to get everything you can for your family for it.”
According to reports, Moore isn’t very high on New Orleans’ quarterback room … and that’s an indictment of Carr and his value.
“There’s been scuttlebutt about whether or not Kellen would want that job, and it’s due to the fact they don’t have a quarterback already there in place,” The Athletic’s Diana Russini said last week. “That being said, I do think he’s come around on it.”
And indeed he has.
The Eagles would have loved for Moore to somehow change his mind about the promise in New Orleans to instead stick with Jalen Hurts and Saquon Barkley for another year.
After all, he’s just 36; other opportunities will likely come.
But as he goes to the Saints? He gets to inherit a lot the power … and a lot of the headaches, too.