WHODAT: Saints HC Kellen Moore Targeting a Specific quarterback to Replace Derrek Carr after a deliberate coaching hire

The New Orleans Saints knew this would be an offseason filled with several major decisions, and the franchise got things started by deciding to hire Kellen Moore as the team’s next head coach. The offensive-minded coach came to New Orleans fresh off a Super Bowl victory with the Philadelphia Eagles, and joined in on the decision making process with the franchise.

One of the first major decisions Moore and the Saints made was hiring an offensive coordinator. On Thursday, Ian Rapoport reported that New Orleans is hiring Doug Nussmeier as the offensive coordinator under Moore. This move has been expected since Moore was named head coach, because the two are extremely close.

Since Moore started coaching, he worked alongside Nussmeier with the Dallas Cowboys, the Los Angeles Chargers, and the Eagles. It was only right that Nussmeier followed Moore to his first head coaching job as well.

While the writing was on the wall for this move, the hire of Nussmeier could hint at which direction the Saints want to go for another important decision. New Orleans is still looking for a franchise quarterback of the future, and Doug Nussmeier‘s son, Garrett Nussmeier, could be that guy. That’s a connection a lot of people made following the hire of the elder Nussmeier.

Fans think Saints will be interested in Garrett Nussmeier after hiring Doug Nussmeier as offensive coordinator

Garrett Nussmeier is the current starting quarterback for LSU, and many analysts believe he would’ve been an intriguing prospect if he entered the draft this year. However, he opted to go back to LSU for another season, and he’s expected to be one of the top quarterbacks in the 2026 Draft class.

Barring any surprises, everyone expects the Saints to still be in a market for a long-term answer at quarterback then. Pairing Nussmeier with his father as his offensive coordinator would certainly be a nice story— especially since Doug Nussmeier was drafted by the Saints as a quarterback and spent four years with the team.

However, whether this happens or not will come down to more than just the storybook theme of it all. The Saints will have to actually be in position to land Nussmeier, and he’ll also have to be the quarterback they want. In a draft class that could also include Arch Manning, New Orleans could be deciding between multiple legacy storylines.

That’s a decision that’s over a year away, but the seed has definitely been planted in the minds of many, with the hire of Doug Nussmeier as offensive coordinator for the Saints.

Saints Star Payton Turner sends Shocking Message to Kellen Moore and Gayle Benson as Saints fans believe it was a subliminal shot aimed at…

NFL offseasons are all about drama, and that drama has seemingly already started for the New Orleans Saints. During the year, the football field is where storylines develop, but in the offseason, the stories start on social media, and the Saints already have a cryptic post to get things rolling.

Payton Turner is the player who kicked things off with a recent post on his Instagram stories. The veteran defensive end shared a picture of a dusty Rolls Royce stored in a garage, and it was clear that it hasn’t been driven in a while. Over the picture read the words, “No matter how good you are, if you are I’m a wrong place, you are worthless.”

Naturally, Saints fans interpreted this as a shot at the team; Turner is the Rolls Royce in this scenario and New Orleans is the old, dusty garage that’s deemed the wrong place.

Saints fans think Payton Turner is criticizing the Saints in a recent post

To be fair to Turner, players’ lives are about more than football. This message could’ve been about any aspect of his life, or he could’ve just thought it was an important message to pass along. While it definitely could be about the Saints, it’s not guaranteed unless he confirms it.

Of course, that reality won’t stop the reaction from fans, and fans who interpreted this as a shot at the team weren’t all that kind to Turner. The general reaction was that Turner hasn’t shown enough to send out a message like this. Since being drafted by New Orleans in the first round of the 2021 Draft, he has appeared in just 31 games, tallying five sacks, 50 tackles, 11 for a loss, and 11 quarterback hits.

However, with Zack Baun going from an underused defender in New Orleans, to a Defensive Player of the Year finalists with the Super Bowl Champion Philadelphia Eagles, there will be a lot of players in New Orleans and around the league that argue they’re falling victim to similar circumstances. When it comes to Payton Turner, though, fans will have to see it to believe it.

BREAKING: Saints Hire Former Chargers Head Coach As Defensive Coordinator Under HC Kellen Moore

New Orleans Saints coach Kellen Moore is bringing in a familiar face to lead his defense— as well as one who can help the first-time head coach adjust to his new duties.

On Friday, the news broke that the Saints were hiring Brandon Staley as the team’s new defensive coordinator. The former Los Angeles Chargers head coach was pegged as a “leading candidate” earlier this month for the position; he and Moore worked together in L.A. during the 2023 season.

The #Saints are hiring Brandon Staley as their defensive coordinator, sources tell The Insiders.

Staley — who had two winning records and a playoff appearance in three seasons as #Chargers head coach — is still only 42. Now he reunites with Kellen Moore in New Orleans. pic.twitter.com/zhDjvt7K3x

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) February 21, 2025

It’ll be Staley’s second stint as a defensive coordinator. Previously he was the DC for Sean McVay and the Los Angeles Rams. He was hired as the Chargers’ head coach in 2021 and went 24-24 over three seasons there. After getting fired 14 games into the 2023 season, Staley spent 2024 as an assistant head coach to Kyle Shanahan of the San Francisco 49ers.

Staley will have his work cut out for him in the Big Easy. The Saints ranked 29th in yards given up per game in 2024; only the Carolina Panthers gave up more total rushing yards on the season. Between revamping the defense and offering his experience as a former coach to Moore, Staley should have his plate full this year.

“it’s over for him at Saint” Derek Carr will be cut by the Saints this offseason as HC Kellen Moore gives greenlight for Star QB as Replacement

The 2025 offseason has the potential to be a chaotic one for the entire NFL. There will likely be a ton of quarterback movement, wide receiver movement, an unpredictable draft, and plenty of other moves that will reshape the league as fans know it.

The New Orleans Saints could have a hand in all of the chaos that’s expected to take place. The team already has a new coaching staff, led by Kellen Moore, and they could soon hit the reset button on the roster as well. With a horrendous cap situation, there’s a growing belief that New Orleans could say farewell to some high-paid veterans this offseason.

The biggest name that falls in that category is starting quarterback Derek Carr. After signing with the Saints two offseasons ago, Carr has two years left on his deal, with cap hits north of $50 million in each season. Since he has only brought the team mediocre results, he makes sense as a cut candidate, and everyone sees that.

ESPN’s Dan Graziano recently pointed that out in a piece looking at each team’s cap space predicament, and now, Matt Okada is saying the same. In a recent NFL.com piece, highlighting notable cut candidates, Okada detailed why Carr could be a free agent this offseason.

“Derek Carr…is probably a middle-of-the-pack starting quarterback — but his $51.5 million cap hit in 2025 is the fourth-highest at the position. The complications stem from the variety of options the Saints have with the 33-year-old QB. Cutting him straight-up would leave the team with $50.1 million in dead money and save just $1.3 million against the cap — doesn’t seem viable. Designating him as a post-June 1 cut nets $30 million in savings, with “only” $21.5 million in dead money, which is more manageable.”

Matt Okada (NFL.com)

Derek Carr named a cut candidate for the Saints

Okada breaks it all down. Carr has been good, but not elite, so the Saints must decide if he’s worth keeping, or if they will pursue moving on in a way that opens up the most cap space. It’s still early in the offseason, so New Orleans hasn’t really shown its hand yet.

The only thing that’s clear is that the Saints are actually deciding on whether to keep Carr or not. This was made evident in Kellen Moore’s introductory press conference. The first-time head coach was complimentary of Carr, but wouldn’t commit to him as the team’s quarterback. That means New Orleans is in the process of deciding the best path forward, with a decision likely coming before the start of free agency in March.

TOUGH DECISIONS: Saints HC Kellen Moore Left to Make ‘Painful Decisions’ Coming with Departure of stars

What are the New Orleans Saints going to do this offseason in order to get under the cap?

New Orleans is currently in a tough spot. The Saints won five games in 2024 and currently are last in the league in cap space at over -$47 million in cap space, per Over The Cap. It’s going to be a long offseason full of speculation and rumors.

ESPN’s Dan Graziano took a look at each team’s current cap situation and discussed possibilities for each franchise. For the Saints, he said there could be “painful decisions” on the way while specifically talking about team legend Cameron Jordan.

“Quarterback Derek Carr is set to make $40 million this season,” Graziano said. “Of that, $10 million is already guaranteed and the remaining $30 million becomes guaranteed in mid-March. His cap number is over $51 million. To knock that down, the Saints might need to extend him, but they could save $30 million on this year’s cap if they made him a post-June 1 cut.

“Also worth watching is the situation with Cameron Jordan, who’s a beloved longtime Saint and has told me he wants to finish his career in New Orleans. Jordan turns 36 in July, has one year left on his contract and is carrying a cap number of roughly $20 million for 2025. Is there an extension that makes sense for Jordan? And if not, is it possible they make him a post-June 1 cut to save $11 million on this year’s cap. Some hard and potentially painful decisions lie ahead for New Orleans.”

Hopefully, the Saints find a way to fix their cap situation without cutting ties with Jordan.