The New Orleans Saints have tabbed Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore as their next head coach.

The Saints promoted special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi to replace Allen on an interim basis after a 2-7 start and went 3-5 with him at the helm.

The decision to zero in on Moore comes two days after he helped the Eagles beat the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX.

Plenty of credit toward his work in Philly will justifiably be paid to star running back Saquon Barkley for running for 2,005 yards in 16 starts. Barkley performed so well that he might've shifted how teams view the running back position.

But Jalen Hurts' production shouldn't go overlooked, either. While his 193.5 yards per game were his lowest since becoming Philly's full-time starting quarterback, he set personal bests in completion percentage (68.7) and passer rating (103.7). He also ranked 10th in QBR (65.6), up slightly from his 12th-place finish (60.9) in 2023.

Working for three different teams in as many seasons seemingly didn't help boost Moore's coaching profile. But leaving the Los Angeles Chargers after just one year for the Eagles proved to be a shrewd move.

Hiring a head coach probably won't be the most consequential decision Saints general manager Mickey Loomis makes this offseason.

Quarterback Derek Carr counts for $51.5 million in 2025, which is the fourth-biggest salary cap hit in the NFL. At the very least, New Orleans could look to rework his contract and lower the short-term cost for Carr, and cutting him altogether may not be off the table when making him a post-June 1 release would free up $30 million in salary cap space.

Carr also symbolizes a franchise that has stagnated and badly needs a full reset.

The Saints have yet to make the playoffs following Drew Brees' retirement in March 2021. They've not only tread water, but Loomis' efforts to maintain a contending-caliber roster have also complicated their cap situation.

New Orleans is projected to be more than $50.3 million over the cap, per Spotrac, and seven of the franchise's 11 biggest cap hits go toward players aged 30 or older. This is an aging, expensive core with little to no upside.

ESPN's Katherine Terrell offered some more context in November.

"The Saints have six players over age 30 who represent a huge chunk of their salary cap space next year," she wrote. "All are current or former team captains: Linebacker Demario Davis (35), defensive end Cameron Jordan (35), tight end Taysom Hill (34), quarterback Derek Carr (33), safety Tyrann Mathieu (32) and right tackle Ryan Ramczyk (30).

"Per NFLPA records, those six players, all with questions about age, injuries or production, are currently scheduled to represent $140 million in salary cap figures next year, about 40 percent of the approximate $340 million in player salaries and bonuses on the books for 2025."

Loomis is basically staring at one of two pathways.

The front office can run it back and make enough strategic roster cuts and contract restructures to be compliant with the cap. In that scenario, the Saints would have little wiggle room for outside additions.

Or Loomis could choose to totally blow it up. Parting ways with all of the team's high-priced veterans would be costly now but clean up the books for 2026 and beyond.

Given where the fanbase's attitudes toward Loomis are trending, maintaining the status quo might be a hard sell. The goodwill from the Brees era has evaporated, and Loomis' reputation as a talent evaluator has taken a hit when former Saints players such as Trey Hendrickson and Zack Baun are making the Pro Bowl with other teams.

When it comes to the overall vision for the Saints in 2025, the next big benchmark will come by mid-March. Terrell noted Carr's $30 million salary is fully guaranteed on the third day of the NFL's league year, which starts March 12.

Keeping Carr would point toward a desire to challenge for the NFC South. Cutting ties with the four-time Pro Bowler could be the first domino in a wider rebuild.