JACKSON: Optics of Saints hire getting worse with time

By Ross Jackson

The head coach search for the New Orleans Saints has taken quite a hit with the reversal of Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady’s interest in the position. 

Without question, a second candidate with ties to the organization declining an in-person interview will be a stain on the search. Now, just days after the pieces looked to be falling perfectly in place for the Saints to maximize their candidate list, major red flags are being raised. 

There are still quality candidates in their search. Head coach candidates Darren Rizzi, Anthony Weaver and Mike Kafka are all respected in NFL circles. And while each hire would vary in fan excitement, they make sense for where the organization is. 

But that will be the key. Are the Saints willing to embrace where they are?

New Orleans is a team with an aging roster, an improving but still challenging salary cap situation and currently no long-term answer at quarterback without much chance to change that in 2025 unless second-year quarterback Spencer Rattler breaks through. It’s proven to be a hard sell with head coach candidates that were considered the top options in this cycle, and now New Orleans sits with just three completed in-person interviews and hopes to schedule more. 

While former Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy and Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore are still garnering interest from the Saints, how interested they are in return is sure to meet doubt. 

Washington Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury could be added to the list as well, but he has made it clear that he will not entertain additional opportunities until his team is officially no longer competing. 

While a valiant decision, that primes Kingsbury to return to Washington for 2025. 

What Brady showed by withdrawing consideration and what new Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen showed the Tampa Bay Buccaneers by flipping back to the Jaguars overnight is important here. Until an in-person interview is complete, a candidate is just a prospect. And until a contract is signed, a hire is just a candidate. 

The Saints are far from scraping the bottom of the barrel with quality candidates in their list still available. But the optics of what has transpired with familiar options diminishes New Orleans the chance to feign confidence.

They’ve become a hard sell, and there’s no way nor reason to sugarcoat it.