Mitchell Leff/Getty Images

Report: Kellen Moore Expected to Accept Saints HC Job After Super Bowl 59 with Eagles

Julia Stumbaugh

Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore reportedly already has his next job lined up ahead of Super Bowl LIX.

"The expectation remains" that Moore will take over as head coach of the New Orleans Saints following Sunday's game against the Kansas City Chiefs, according to Fox Sports' Jordan Schultz.

Moore "had already started making calls on a potential staff" prior to Super Bowl week, according to Schultz.

ESPN's Adam Schefter confirmed the report, adding that the Saints "don't want to bend or break any rules and therefore will wait until after Super Bowl LIX on Sunday before working to try to finalize any agreement with Moore, according to sources. The sides are not expected to have any challenges to get a deal done, sources said."

Schefter added: "Moore privately has told people he is interested in and wants the Saints job, according to sources, and the Saints want him, which is why a deal is expected to get done once the sides can meet again after Super Bowl LIX, barring an unexpected breakdown in contract talks."

The Saints are the lone remaining NFL team without a head coach. ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported last week the Eagles are "bracing" to lose Moore to the Saints after this season.

The Saints completed their first in-person interview with Moore on Jan. 27, and the rumors connecting Moore to the head coaching vacancy in New Orleans have only accelerated since then.

NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported on Jan. 31, nine days before the Super Bowl, that Saints general manager Mickey Loomis had "informed other candidates" he planned to keep speaking with Moore. Pelissero added that Moore "has been working on staff."

These reports have led to probing questions regarding staffers Moore could potentially hire at his next stop, including his young brother Kirby Moore, who has served as Missouri's offensive coordinator since 2023.

When asked about Kirby Moore's work with the Tigers, Kellen Moore told LouisianaSports.net's Ross Jackson on Thursday he knows his brother is "going to have a lot of really good opportunities, you know, very shortly for himself."

This isn't the first time the NFL head coaching cycle beginning during the playoffs has led to some overlap between coordinators' work with their current teams and planning for their next stop. Former Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, who was named head coach of the Chicago Bears less than 48 hours after his team's elimination from the Divisional round, began building his staff the following week.

Moore told reporters during the week leading up to the Super Bowl that the buzz surrounding the Saints job opening wasn't serving as a distraction from the most important game of the Eagles' season.

"It's just pure focus on this," Moore said about the Super Bowl, per NOLA.com's Matthew Paras. "You don't have to worry about a single thing except for this opportunity."

In his first season playing in Moore's offense, Saquon Barkley has led the NFL in rushing yards during both the regular season and playoffs. Moore will look for one more big game from Barkley when Super Bowl LIX kicks off Sunday at 6:30 p.m. ET.

   

Read 0 Comments

Download the app for comments Get the B/R app to join the conversation

Install the App
×
Bleacher Report
(120K+)