The NFL’s 2025 coaching changes have come to a close with the New Orleans Saints making the final head coaching appointment of the offseason. The Saints have officially named Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore as their new head coach.
This announcement comes shortly after Moore’s Eagles triumphed over the Kansas City Chiefs to claim victory in Super Bowl LIX with a commanding 40-22 win.
At 36 years old, Moore had a standout 2024 season, leading the Eagles to the NFL’s seventh-best scoring offense (27.2 points per game) and the eighth-best total offense (367.2 yards per game). This was his first season in Philadelphia, following a year as the offensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Chargers in 2023. Under Moore’s guidance, free-agent acquisition running back Saquon Barkley not only topped the NFL in rushing yards (2,005) but also became just the ninth player in NFL history to rush for 2,000 yards in a season. Additionally, Barkley led the league in scrimmage yards with a total of 2,283.
Moore now faces the challenge of maximizing the potential of Derek Carr, a four-time Pro Bowl quarterback who will be 34 years old when the 2025 season begins. Carr struggled with injuries in 2024, missing seven games, including the final four due to a fracture in his non-throwing hand. The Saints endured a tough 5-12 season marred by injuries. They made history as the first team to lose seven consecutive games after starting the season with two dominant wins by 20 or more points. Injuries to key players such as wide receivers Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed, offensive lineman Erik McCoy, cornerback Paulson Adebo, and Carr himself severely impacted the team’s performance. New Orleans managed a 5-5 record in Carr’s 10 starts but struggled mightily when backups Spencer Rattler and Jake Haener had to step in, failing to win a single game during the seven contests Carr was sidelined.
Kellen Moore’s rise from NFL player to head coach has been nothing short of meteoric, accomplishing the transition in just over a decade. Moore spent his first three NFL seasons (2012-2014) as a backup quarterback for the Detroit Lions after going undrafted, following a record-breaking college career at Boise State. In 2015, he joined the Dallas Cowboys as a backup to Tony Romo and Dak Prescott. After retiring from playing in 2018, Moore became Prescott’s quarterbacks coach.
Moore’s coaching journey took off in 2019 when Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett promoted him to offensive coordinator in Garrett’s final season. He stayed on as the offensive coordinator and play-caller when Mike McCarthy took over as head coach in 2020. Despite McCarthy’s extensive background in play-calling with the Green Bay Packers, he allowed Moore to maintain those responsibilities. Under Moore, the Cowboys’ scoring offense ranked in the NFL’s top 10 in three of his four seasons in Dallas, with 2020 being the only exception due to Prescott’s injury after five games.
In 2021, Moore’s play-calling helped Prescott set a career-high 37 touchdown passes while leading the NFL in scoring offense (31.2 points per game). However, when McCarthy reclaimed the play-calling duties for the 2023 season, Moore left the Cowboys and took on a new challenge with the Los Angeles Chargers.
