Nick Sirianni Increases Saints’ Offseason Jeopardy With Kellen Moore Message as Derek Carr Expected to Attract Trade Interest

Nick Sirianni‘s Eagles have made history. They crushed Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs, hence, revenging the 2022 Super Bowl LVII loss. Jalen Hurts led the team cleverly, registering a dominant 40-22 win. And the reward he got? Hurts was named as Super Bowl MVP. But postgame, there were once again talks about their OC Kellen Moore. And Coach Sirianni’s message triggered confusion.  

Undoubtedly, the Eagles’ offense was highlighted throughout the season. Saquon Barkley had a record-breaking run, while QB Hurts had walked away as Super Bowl MVP. All this highlighted their OC Kellen Moore once again. Reportedly, the 36-year-old offensive coordinator has interests in the New Orleans Saints head coaching job, and it’s almost final. But post the SBvictory, Nick Sirianni made a powerful statement, urging Moore to take a U-turn. The Eagles HC said, “Let’s run this sh-t back, Kellen.” Bang on! 

New Orleans, after firing head coach Dennis Allen, has been desperately searching for a replacement. Former Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy was also interested in the job, but he has decided to take a one-year break and will participate in NFL interviews in 2026. He was the most qualified and only candidate with prior head coaching experience. With his withdrawal, Kellen Moore now stands out as the top remaining HC candidate.

Moore brings six years of coaching experience. He started as the Cowboys‘ quarterbacks coach in 2018. In fact, after a successful season, he was promoted to offensive coordinator, a role he held for four years (2019–2022). After leaving Dallas, Moore spent 2023 as the Chargers’ OC before landing in Philadelphia.

So, after a Super Bowl victory, it would be surprising if Sirianni’s trusted coach chose the Saints over the Eagles. But this isn’t the only challenge faced by the Saints.

The Saints may lose Derek Carr

The Saints QB situation is also tricky. As per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, “If he’s gone, I would expect interest from multiple teams out there. There’s not a lot of great options both in free agency and the draft.” Besides him, ESPN reporter, Katherine Terrell, also stated, “New Orleans is expected to be significantly over the salary cap this offseason and will have to release or restructure multiple contracts to become cap compliant.” The Saints’ star QB had signed a four-year $150,000,000 deal in 2023, that included a $28,500,000 signing bonus.

According to his contract, Derek Carr gets an annual salary of $37,500,000. And if the Saints want to move on from him, the franchise owes Carr a base salary of $30,000,000 and also a $10,000,000 roster bonus, per Bleacher Report. But what if the Saints want to restructure his salary? 

The QB was asked about this by ESPN reporter Terrell, to which he replied, “I wouldn’t take a pay cut.” Carr continued, saying, “Yeah, I wouldn’t do that. Especially with what I put on tape. Would I restructure? Absolutely. I’ll always help the team that way. But there’s some things that you put out there that you earned.” However, the reports are coming that the Saints would move on from the QB in this offseason, though, not confirmed. 

And along with Derek Carr, as we know, the Saints may also lose Kellen Moore as a head coach option after Nick Sirianni’s indirect message. Let’s see how these two updates unfold for the Saints.