Takeaways from Kellen Moore’s annual meeting availability
04/01/2025
By Ross Jackson
PALM BEACH, Fla. — Tuesday morning, NFC head coaches met with the media at this year’s annual meetings. In our conversation with New Orleans Saints head coach Kellen Moore, many topics were discussed including a solid answer on training camp location this year as well as the team’s relationship with quarterback Derek Carr and more.
Here are the biggest takeaways from Moore’s availability with New Orleans media and more that were in attendance.
Saints training camp will be held at the Metairie facility.
After moving to the west coast last year and hosting training camp at UC, Irvine out in California, the team will be back home at their Metairie facility for camp this year, Moore told reporters.
“Yeah, it’ll be in New Orleans. Sorry, Metairie,” the head coach said. “It’ll be in Louisiana, and we’re looking at some potential to see if we can go somewhere else for a shorter period of time this year. But, we’ll spend some time in Louisiana. The exposure to the heat and all that sort of stuff, we think there’ll be value to it.”
After a follow up, Moore also clarified that joint practices are a potential for the team again this offseason, as well. One would assume that those joint practices could present the team’s opportunity to go elsewhere for a short time to escape the Louisiana heat for a brief stint.
Moore says #Saints training camp will be in Metairie this year. Discusses the possibility of joint practices pic.twitter.com/Z83Tp9tsV6
— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) April 1, 2025
Things sound like they’re in a good place with quarterback Derek Carr.
Things have continued to trend in a more concrete direction between the Saints and Carr, despite what was perceived as an early non-committal nature toward the quarterback. Following the team’s restructuring of his contract, there are few avenues that would result in a split before the 2025 season. However, the questions and speculation continue. Moore was clear Tuesday that the team and Carr are looking forward to getting started, and look to do so soon.
“I’m excited to have him back with us really shortly,” Moore said of Carr. “Obviously April 14, we’ll start. And I think that’s the fun part. These guys go through the offseason. They have a chance to spend time with their family, invest in all that, which is the right thing to do. And once you get back, April 14, you kind of begin the process. Football’s in the fold and it’ll be a great process.”
Moore also followed up about Carr’s excitement about being back with the team and stated simply “Yeah, we’re excited to team up.”
It doesn’t sound like Moore will be hesitant about continuing to invest in the future at quarterback.
One of the biggest criticisms of the Saints’ 2006-2021 era was that the team never seemed to lock in a successor following former quarterback Drew Brees. It sounds like Moore doesn’t intend to repeat that same practice.
“I think every team in the NFL is always trying to bring in quarterbacks and develop them under any circumstance,” he said. “Everyone does homework on quarterbacks. It’s a very valuable position. We have Derek (Carr), who’s played a ton of football and we feel great about. And certainly our organization has invested quarterbacks the last few years.
The Saints want to have a defined backup quarterback going into the regular season.
Of those quarterbacks, Spencer Rattler and Jake Haener were recent draft picks, and veteran Ben DiNucci was an in-season signing after Carr was injured. For Moore, the strategy of how to align the position behind their starter is important and clear.
“In almost every circumstance, you want to have (the backup quarterback) defined going into the season,” Moore said. “You’ve got to know who your backup quarterback is and just understand that there’s a progression there. Not going to say ‘never-ever,’ but feel like it’s pretty strong just because of the reps in season, you have to have it set in a certain way.”
This is a starkly different approach than that of former head coach Dennis Allen’s from last year.
Moore is, unsurprisingly, in favor of the “tush-push” remaining in the game.
While Moore would go down as the last play-caller to run the infamous—or iconic —”tush push” if it’s banned this year, he’s in favor of keeping it in the game.
Saints coach Kellen Moore is pro-Tush Push, as expected.
Said the injury data isn’t a reason to ban it, and also said the success rate isn’t different than other plays.
Said Sirianni didn’t need to lobby him. “I got Nick. We’re good.”
— Mike Triplett (@MikeTriplett) April 1, 2025
The team is comfortable with their offensive tackle pairing.
In two questions about the young bookends at tackle, Taliese Fuaga and Trevor Penning, Moore seems to feel quite comfortable with the pairing.
When asked about Fuaga at left tackle, he was clear that the team sees him holding that role following a stellar 2024 season.
“Yeah, we see him as a left tackle,” Moore said. “I mean, he could play anywhere. He’s a big-time player.”
On Penning at right tackle, Moore said “Yeah, we’ve got him there. We feel good. Continuing to develop.”
The pairing may not stop New Orleans from adding to the tackle spot, considering the opportunity to add depth or even shake up the line could be appealing. However, it’s clear that the Saints are perfectly comfortable moving forward with Fuaga and Penning at tackle.
Oftentimes teams will simply want to find a way to have the best five offensive lineman on the field, regardless of what positions they played in college. So while the option of drafting a tackle high shouldn’t be fully ruled out, the fact that the team doesn’t see a starter as a need helps to relax their first options.