By Ross Jackson
This is a name that should excite New Orleans Saints fans.
According to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini, the Saints have requested an interview with Miami Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver.
A known culture-builder and former player, Weaver checks the boxes of a modern-day head coaching candidate. While he has a defensive background, that hasn’t stopped teams like the Washington Commanders, Buffalo Bills, and Houston Texans from making the playoffs in 2024.
Like Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore—another candidate the Saints have requested to interview—Weaver represents a shift from the norm. The Saints are clearly not sticking with the status quo when it comes to this very important coaching search.
Weaver and the Saints don’t share much connective tissue, making him an external candidate who addresses concerns about the team’s tendency to hire from within. His potential hire would signal a willingness to take the organization in a new direction.
Weaver would absolutely bring that. Not only as a head coach, but as a new architect of the team’s defense, which could use a fresh perspective after years of former coach Dennis Allen’s system. The previous regime’s scheme came to a screeching halt in 2024, as the run defense plummeted to second-worst in the NFLand fell to 30th in total yards allowed.
Weaver would represent a departure from the recent history of the team and a new beginning in terms of culture. He is certainly a name to watch during the coaching cycle, in New Orleans and beyond.
